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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. clip — to cut
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. press — to push
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. dip — to sink
  9. clip — for paper
  10. press — a publisher
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wound — an injury
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. clip — a video
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. press — newspapers
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lean — to bend

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