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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. face — to confront
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — the underground
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. face — part of the head
  9. press — a publisher
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. press — to push
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. game — wild animals
  15. tube — a container
  16. game — a match
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pit — a hole
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. face — to point toward
  24. safe — a strongbox

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