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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. press — to push
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ground — crushed
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. press — a publisher
  10. sharp — clever
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ground — the earth
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chest — a box
  17. ground — a position
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pass — a permit
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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