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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. sharp — clever
  4. present — there
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pop — soda
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. present — the time now
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pop — to visit
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. press — newspapers
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pop — music
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. present — a gift
  24. nail — for a hammer

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