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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bat — the animal
  7. press — to push
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. kick — in football
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. saw — the tool
  19. press — a publisher
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. sharp — clever
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. press — newspapers

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