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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 124 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fork — in a road
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. track — a song
  19. scale — in music
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. track — a path

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