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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fine — all right
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. lean — to bend
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. press — a publisher
  13. sharp — clever
  14. press — to push
  15. capital — a city
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lean — thin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. capital — money
  20. press — newspapers
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rash — a series

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