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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rush — hurry
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. chest — a box
  5. field — a subject
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. field — farmland
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stock — goods
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stock — shares
  13. sharp — clever
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. press — to push
  20. field — for sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chest — of your body

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