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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. press — a publisher
  3. charge — electricity
  4. press — newspapers
  5. charge — in control
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. sharp — clever
  9. kid — child
  10. mine — for digging
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. kid — to tease
  21. press — to push
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. charge — a price
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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