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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mug — a cup
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a dance
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. press — to push
  14. ball — a great time
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. rash — a series
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mug — a face
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. press — a publisher
  23. saw — the tool
  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