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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · arm · press · safe · present · hide

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. present — a gift
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. press — newspapers
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. present — the time now
  12. press — a publisher
  13. present — there
  14. kick — in football
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. press — to push
  18. kick — a thrill

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