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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · mark · lean · tear · press · sharp · fork · shower

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fork — in a road
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lean — to bend
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lean — thin
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. press — to push
  24. sharp — clever

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