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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pop — soda
  6. last — finally
  7. rush — hurry
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. last — final
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. sharp — clever
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pop — to visit
  17. last — to go on
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pop — music
  24. press — newspapers

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