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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. can — a tin
  4. suit — to fit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. can — a tin
  8. ground — a position
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. date — the fruit
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. can — to be able to
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. suit — in cards
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cold — not warm
  18. press — a publisher
  19. suit — clothes
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. ground — the earth

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