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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. saw — the tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ground — crushed
  5. saw — the tool
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ground — a position
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. press — a publisher
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ground — the earth
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. press — newspapers
  24. can — a tin

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