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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bank — of a river
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. swing — in golf
  8. drill — a practice
  9. firm — decided
  10. bank — for money
  11. net — in sport
  12. press — newspapers
  13. firm — steady
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. net — after costs
  18. swing — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. drill — army training
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. net — for catching
  24. firm — a company

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