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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: track · lie · safe · press · staff · mate · bat · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. track — a path
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. ball — a dance
  6. staff — employees
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mate — a friend
  9. press — to push
  10. staff — a stick
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. track — a song
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bat — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. press — a publisher
  21. mate — to breed
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. ball — a great time

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