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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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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: net · press · ruler · spell · season · sharp · spring · kid

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. net — in sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spell — letters
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. season — of the year
  12. press — a publisher
  13. season — in sport
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. net — after costs
  18. spell — magic
  19. sharp — clever
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spell — a short time
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. net — for catching

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