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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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Word bank
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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. saw — the tool
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ball — a dance
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. squash — the sport
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. squash — to crush
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. saw — the tool
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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