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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stem — to come from
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. season — of the year
  9. chip — to eat
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. press — a publisher
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. face — to confront
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rest — a break
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — part of the head
  23. sharp — clever
  24. season — in sport

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