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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mate — a friend
  3. press — newspapers
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mate — to breed
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. kid — child
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. plane — a tool
  11. press — to push
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stem — to come from
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rest — a break
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mate — a partner
  24. sharp — with an edge

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