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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 120 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. track — to keep track
  6. kick — in football
  7. track — a path
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. press — a publisher
  10. court — of a king
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. press — to push
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. press — newspapers
  24. track — a song

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