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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rash — a series
  7. present — a gift
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. present — there
  10. rest — a break
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mine — for digging
  13. present — the time now
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. press — a publisher
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. press — newspapers
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. press — to push
  24. rest — what's left

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