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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: jam · press · tear · hand · safe · mate · cabinet · mine

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. press — to push
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. press — a publisher
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tear — to rip
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. press — newspapers
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. hand — help
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mine — for digging
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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