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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. deal — to handle
  3. press — to push
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fall — to drop
  6. press — newspapers
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fall — the season
  13. spell — magic
  14. date — the fruit
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. spell — letters
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fall — to drop

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