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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pit — a hole
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. press — to push
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. wind — moving air
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. vault — a safe
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fall — the season
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pass — to succeed

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