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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. can — a tin
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mine — for digging
  21. can — a tin
  22. press — newspapers
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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