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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. spell — letters
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. charge — a price
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. press — to push
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. press — newspapers
  16. spell — a short time
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. field — for sport
  23. sharp — clever
  24. spell — magic

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