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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. object — a thing
  3. fork — in a road
  4. chest — of your body
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rest — a break
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. press — to push
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. object — an aim
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bound — tied together
  24. object — to protest

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