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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. press — newspapers
  5. scale — in music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wind — moving air
  8. press — a publisher
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. press — to push
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. scale — size or range
  18. trunk — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com