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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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. chair — to sit on
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. craft — boats
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. press — a publisher
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. pound — a weight
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. press — to push
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chair — a leader
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rule — a law
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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