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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rock — music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mate — a friend
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. press — to push
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. craft — boats
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. press — a publisher
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rock — a stone

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