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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.

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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: trunk · pit · press · safe · present · saw · bowl · charge

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — there
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pit — a hole
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. charge — a price
  10. pit — in a race
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. press — to push
  14. charge — electricity
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. present — the time now
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — in control
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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