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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. press — to push
  4. rest — what's left
  5. scale — in music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rest — a break
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mine — for digging
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fine — all right
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mug — a face
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. press — a publisher
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rest — what's left
  24. sharp — exactly

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