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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. file — a tool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. kid — child
  5. suit — in cards
  6. saw — the tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. press — newspapers
  11. suit — clothes
  12. content — the amount
  13. cue — a hint
  14. content — happy
  15. file — a document
  16. saw — the tool
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. cue — for pool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. suit — to fit

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