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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rush — hurry
  4. degree — from a university
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ball — a dance
  7. press — to push
  8. object — to protest
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ball — a great time
  11. object — an aim
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. object — a thing
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fall — to drop
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fall — to drop
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. press — a publisher
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fall — the season

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