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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. present — the time now
  7. wake — a trail
  8. present — a gift
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. present — there
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cell — a phone
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. press — to push
  24. craft — a handicraft

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