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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stand — to bear
  5. charge — a price
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wake — a trail
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spring — of water
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. charge — electricity
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. suit — clothes
  18. sharp — clever
  19. suit — in cards
  20. can — a tin
  21. spring — the season
  22. can — a tin
  23. spring — a coil
  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