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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.

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: lie · cabinet · cell · hand · spell · safe · present · press

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. press — newspapers
  4. hand — in cards
  5. press — to push
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — a phone
  9. present — a gift
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hand — help
  14. cell — in biology
  15. spell — a short time
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spell — magic
  18. press — a publisher
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. spell — letters
  22. present — there
  23. lie — to recline
  24. present — the time now

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