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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kick — in football
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cell — in biology
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. press — a publisher
  9. season — in sport
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. press — to push
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. press — newspapers
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cell — a phone

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