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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: safe · hide · press · prune · mug · track · cold · snap

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. track — a song
  4. cold — not warm
  5. mug — a cup
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cold — an illness
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. prune — to trim
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mug — a face
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mug — to rob
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. track — a path
  21. snap — to click
  22. track — to keep track
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. safe — out of danger

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