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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 button?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. press — to push
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cap — a hat
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cap — a lid
  10. press — newspapers
  11. lie — to recline
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. content — happy
  14. mate — a partner
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mate — a friend
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cap — of ice
  19. content — the amount
  20. mate — to breed
  21. race — the arms race
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — videos and posts
  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