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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. press — a publisher
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. snap — to click
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. press — to push
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. branch — a division
  24. pound — a weight

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