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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fork — in a road
  4. press — to push
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — for digging
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. court — of a king
  13. rule — a law
  14. court — for sport
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rule — government
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. court — of law
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bear — the animal
  22. press — newspapers
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. stem — to come from

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