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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: pit · safe · jam · press · lean · mine · coach · nail

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. lean — thin
  13. pit — in a race
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pit — a hole
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. press — to push
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. press — newspapers
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. lean — to bend

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