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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. wake — a trail
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. press — newspapers
  24. sharp — with an edge

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