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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. sharp — clever
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. press — a publisher
  5. spell — magic
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spell — letters
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fork — in a road
  24. sharp — with an edge

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