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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 meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. season — in sport
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. press — to push
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. press — a publisher
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rock — music
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rock — a stone
  23. toast — bread
  24. safe — out of danger

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