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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: safe · chair · hand · press · trunk · rest · season · lean

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rest — a break
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. season — of the year
  12. rest — what's left
  13. press — to push
  14. season — in sport
  15. press — newspapers
  16. hand — help
  17. lean — thin
  18. chair — a leader
  19. press — a publisher
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. trunk — of a tree

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