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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. press — a publisher
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pit — a hole
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. spring — of water
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. squash — the sport
  11. spring — the season
  12. cap — of ice
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stand — to bear
  17. squash — to crush
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pit — in a race
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cap — a lid
  24. safe — out of danger

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