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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 120 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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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: mate · lash · cabinet · press · chip · firm · scale · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. scale — in music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chip — to eat
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. press — to push
  10. firm — a company
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mate — a partner
  20. firm — decided
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mate — a friend
  24. firm — steady

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