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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. can — a tin
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. can — a tin
  5. last — to go on
  6. pitch — completely
  7. sharp — clever
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. race — the arms race
  10. press — a publisher
  11. file — a tool
  12. race — a contest
  13. press — newspapers
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. race — humankind
  24. press — to push

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