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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.

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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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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: firm · lash · bowl · safe · cell · press · content · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. press — to push
  7. bat — the animal
  8. content — the amount
  9. firm — decided
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cell — a phone
  17. firm — steady
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. content — happy
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cell — in biology
  24. firm — a company

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