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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. press — newspapers
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stem — to come from
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. sharp — clever
  11. season — in sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — in music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. press — a publisher
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. plane — a tool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. press — to push
  24. season — of the year

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