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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wind — moving air
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — a hat
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fine — high quality
  16. board — to get on
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cap — of ice

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