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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. spell — magic
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. sharp — clever
  7. press — newspapers
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stem — to come from
  10. shower — rain
  11. press — to push
  12. spell — letters
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bank — of a river
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mate — a friend

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