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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 116 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: press · file · content · safe · lie · court · lash · prune

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. press — a publisher
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. prune — to trim
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. court — of law
  10. press — to push
  11. file — a document
  12. content — the amount
  13. court — of a king
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. press — newspapers
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. content — happy

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