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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bass — the fish
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bass — low music
  6. kid — child
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lie — to recline
  11. press — a publisher
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. press — to push
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. present — the time now
  20. wound — an injury
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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