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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ground — the earth
  4. spell — letters
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. band — a music group
  7. press — a publisher
  8. ground — a position
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. press — to push
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fall — to drop
  15. band — a ring
  16. fall — to drop
  17. spell — magic
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wind — moving air
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fall — the season
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wind — moving air

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