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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: bat · mouse · pop · degree · lash · net · press · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. net — for catching
  5. pop — to visit
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. degree — an amount
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. net — after costs
  11. degree — from a university
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. degree — temperature
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. net — in sport
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mouse — for a computer

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