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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 124 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. row — to paddle
  4. press — a publisher
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. dip — to sink
  10. march — the month
  11. press — to push
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. march — the month
  15. row — a line
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. sharp — clever
  19. saw — the tool
  20. press — newspapers
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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