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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mate — a friend
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. capital — money
  5. suit — to fit
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mate — to breed
  8. suit — in cards
  9. present — the time now
  10. press — a publisher
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stem — to come from
  13. press — newspapers
  14. suit — clothes
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. press — to push
  18. present — there
  19. mate — a partner
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. present — a gift
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. capital — a city
  24. stem — of a plant

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