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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. staff — employees
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. staff — employees
  9. press — a publisher
  10. kid — child
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fall — to drop
  13. club — for golf
  14. fall — the season
  15. staff — a stick
  16. kid — to tease
  17. club — a group
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fall — to drop
  21. club — for dancing
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bark — of a tree

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