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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. swing — to play on
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. press — to push
  11. wound — an injury
  12. field — for sport
  13. swing — music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. field — farmland
  16. mug — a cup
  17. press — newspapers
  18. field — a subject
  19. swing — in golf
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mug — to rob
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mug — a face
  24. press — a publisher

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