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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rash — a series
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. press — to push
  14. fall — the season
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bore — to drill
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fall — to drop
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bore — to tire

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