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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mine — for digging
  6. press — to push
  7. land — ground
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. land — a country
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. land — to come down
  23. press — newspapers
  24. spell — magic

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