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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: mark · wound · mouse · fan · hide · safe · last · press

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. press — a publisher
  6. last — finally
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. press — to push
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. press — newspapers
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. last — to go on
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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