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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.

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: dip · press · face · straw · racket · safe · bass · spell

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. press — to push
  5. spell — a short time
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. press — newspapers
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. face — part of the head
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. face — to confront
  14. spell — magic
  15. dip — to sink
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. spell — letters
  22. press — a publisher
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. face — to point toward

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