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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. content — happy
  4. firm — steady
  5. rock — a stone
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lean — thin
  8. spring — the season
  9. press — to push
  10. sharp — clever
  11. content — the amount
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. spring — of water
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rock — music
  20. firm — decided
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. firm — a company
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. hide — to keep secret

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