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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. press — newspapers
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. drill — army training
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. press — to push
  10. charge — a price
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. charge — in control
  15. press — a publisher
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. sharp — clever
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. charge — electricity
  22. snap — to click
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. drill — 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