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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 120 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spell — letters
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. spell — magic
  13. fine — high quality
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. saw — the tool
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fine — all right
  21. sharp — clever
  22. press — a publisher
  23. saw — the tool
  24. spell — a short time

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