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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. clip — for paper
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mate — a friend
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. clip — to cut
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mate — to breed
  13. spring — the season
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. press — to push
  16. clip — a video
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spring — a coil
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mate — a partner
  24. safe — a strongbox

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