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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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Word bank
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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. press — newspapers
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fork — in a road
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. squash — the sport
  18. press — to push
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. safe — out of danger

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