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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. press — to push
  4. cold — not warm
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rest — a break
  15. object — to protest
  16. fine — all right
  17. date — the fruit
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rest — what's left
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cold — an illness
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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