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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: hand · pop · last · safe · press · leaves · ball · straw

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. hand — in cards
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. press — newspapers
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pop — music
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. last — final
  11. pop — to visit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. press — a publisher
  14. last — finally
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pop — soda
  19. ball — a dance
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. ball — a great time
  22. last — to go on
  23. hand — help
  24. safe — a strongbox

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