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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. drill — the tool
  4. press — to push
  5. dip — to sink
  6. drill — army training
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. file — a document
  9. scale — in music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wax — to grow
  13. scale — size or range
  14. press — newspapers
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bound — certain
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. dip — a sauce

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