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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: saw · press · rush · safe · pass · stick · lean · coach

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. lean — to bend
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rush — hurry
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lean — thin
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. press — to push
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. press — a publisher
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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