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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: safe · lean · sharp · jam · race · coach · wound · press

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lean — to bend
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. press — to push
  8. race — the arms race
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. press — newspapers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lean — thin
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. race — humankind
  17. press — a publisher
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. race — a contest
  24. wound — an injury

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