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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. chest — a box
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lean — thin
  7. press — newspapers
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lean — to bend
  10. board — a committee
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fine — high quality
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. game — wild animals
  16. press — a publisher
  17. board — to get on
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. deal — to handle
  23. press — to push
  24. fine — all right

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