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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. sharp — clever
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rule — government
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. press — to push
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. content — happy
  16. face — part of the head
  17. row — a line
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — to paddle
  20. dip — to sink
  21. press — a publisher
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rule — a law
  24. face — to confront

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