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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. sharp — clever
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. press — to push
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wake — a trail
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. saw — the tool
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fork — in a road
  22. saw — the tool
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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