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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — to play on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. file — a document
  6. press — to push
  7. lie — to recline
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pit — a hole
  10. file — a tool
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. press — a publisher
  15. swing — music
  16. cold — an illness
  17. track — a path
  18. file — a line of people
  19. press — newspapers
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  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