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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lean — thin
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mate — a friend
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. saw — the tool
  20. press — to push
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. press — a publisher
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. safe — a strongbox

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