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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lean — to bend
  7. key — the most important part
  8. press — to push
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pop — to visit
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. season — in sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pop — soda
  17. season — of the year
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lean — thin
  22. press — newspapers
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pop — music

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