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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. suit — in cards
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kid — child
  9. suit — clothes
  10. press — a publisher
  11. last — final
  12. press — to push
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. suit — to fit
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. last — finally
  21. dip — to sink
  22. last — to go on
  23. kid — to tease
  24. press — newspapers

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