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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 120 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: bound · press · kick · object · safe · racket · last · tear

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. last — final
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. object — a thing
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tear — to rip
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bound — certain
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. object — to protest
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. press — newspapers
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bound — obliged
  23. object — an aim
  24. bound — tied together

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