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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — in a race
  5. press — to push
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bear — the animal
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bear — the animal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pit — a hole

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