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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rest — what's left
  3. press — to push
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rest — what's left
  10. press — newspapers
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rest — a break
  14. court — of a king
  15. press — a publisher
  16. court — of law
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. band — a ring
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. band — a music group

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