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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bulb — for light
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. press — a publisher
  10. object — to protest
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. object — a thing
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bulb — for light
  16. object — an aim
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. press — to push
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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