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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. file — a document
  3. press — to push
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. ball — a great time
  9. file — a line of people
  10. press — newspapers
  11. tear — from crying
  12. press — a publisher
  13. file — a tool
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bear — the animal
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. temple — a place of worship

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