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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. race — a contest
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bound — obliged
  5. press — newspapers
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bound — tied together
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bound — certain
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fall — to drop
  12. press — to push
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. press — a publisher
  16. race — humankind
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bat — the animal
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fall — the season

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