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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bound — obliged
  7. press — to push
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bound — tied together
  11. tear — from crying
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. press — newspapers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tear — from crying
  24. arm — a part of something

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