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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. press — to push
  5. snap — to click
  6. mate — a partner
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mate — to breed
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. saw — the tool
  15. press — newspapers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. press — a publisher
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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