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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: straw · net · present · cabinet · kid · safe · fan · press

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — for catching
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. present — the time now
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. press — to push
  8. net — in sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. present — there
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. net — after costs
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. present — a gift
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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