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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.

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: fall · safe · press · game · mate · content · pop · squash

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. squash — to crush
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mate — a friend
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pop — to visit
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. press — newspapers
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. game — wild animals
  13. squash — the sport
  14. content — happy
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. game — a match
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. press — to push
  20. pop — music
  21. fall — the season
  22. content — the amount
  23. pop — soda
  24. fall — to drop

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