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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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Word bank
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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: ruler · pop · kick · press · dip · cold · safe · last

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cold — an illness
  3. dip — to sink
  4. last — to go on
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. press — to push
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pop — music
  10. cold — not warm
  11. last — finally
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pop — soda
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. kick — in football
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. last — final

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