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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · cell · bowl · ground · can · safe · press · saw

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. press — to push
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. press — a publisher
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. saw — the tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. saw — the tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cell — in biology
  17. band — a ring
  18. ground — crushed
  19. band — a music group
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cell — a phone

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