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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. staff — employees
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rest — what's left
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rest — what's left
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. staff — employees
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wind — moving air
  17. sharp — clever
  18. press — a publisher
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rest — a break

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