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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bound — certain
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fall — the season
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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