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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. spell — a short time
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. spring — the season
  9. sharp — clever
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. press — to push
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spring — of water
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. spell — letters
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. spell — magic
  21. press — a publisher
  22. spring — a coil
  23. kick — in football
  24. saw — the tool

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