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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lean — to bend
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. press — to push
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mug — a face
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cold — an illness
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. game — a match
  17. lean — thin
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cold — not warm
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mug — to rob

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