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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. drill — the tool
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. drill — a practice
  13. press — newspapers
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mine — for digging
  16. press — to push
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. drill — army training
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rush — hurry

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