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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. press — newspapers
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. press — to push
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. field — farmland
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pop — music
  16. fall — the season
  17. field — for sport
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. face — to confront
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. field — a subject
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fork — in a road

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