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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. key — for a lock
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rock — music
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. charge — in control
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. press — to push
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. sharp — exactly

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