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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. press — to push
  5. tube — a container
  6. rock — music
  7. court — of law
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. press — a publisher
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. squash — the sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. court — for sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. press — newspapers
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. squash — to crush
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. hide — animal skin

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