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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. kid — child
  3. bank — of a river
  4. squash — to crush
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. squash — the sport
  7. press — newspapers
  8. root — the cause
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. kid — to tease
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. press — to push
  13. bank — for money
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. root — of a word
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bank — for money
  18. press — a publisher
  19. tube — a container
  20. root — of a plant
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. tube — the underground
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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