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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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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: toast · safe · pound · mate · press · lean · wind · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. lean — thin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. press — to push
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. lean — to bend
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. press — newspapers
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mate — a partner
  24. safe — a strongbox

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