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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. press — a publisher
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. press — to push
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. sharp — clever
  11. spring — the season
  12. content — the amount
  13. pound — a weight
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. spring — of water
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. press — newspapers
  20. content — happy
  21. spring — a coil
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. charge — in control

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