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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. tear — to rip
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. press — to push
  9. spring — the season
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bass — low music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. press — a publisher
  19. spring — of water
  20. squash — the sport
  21. press — newspapers
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. spring — a coil

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