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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 124 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. press — to push
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. press — a publisher
  8. key — in music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cell — in biology
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. file — a document
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cell — a phone
  23. press — newspapers
  24. key — for a lock

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