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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: stick · press · sharp · squash · coach · saw · wax · chip

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wax — to grow
  5. squash — to crush
  6. press — a publisher
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chip — to eat
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. saw — the tool
  20. squash — the sport
  21. chip — for betting
  22. press — to push
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. saw — the tool

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