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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — to push
  9. row — a line
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — to cut
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fine — high quality
  14. suit — clothes
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wake — a trail
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bulb — for light
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fine — all right
  24. press — newspapers

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