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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: swing · cell · leaves · drill · sharp · craft · squash · press

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. press — newspapers
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. craft — boats
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. craft — a skill
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. sharp — clever
  13. press — to push
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cell — a phone
  16. drill — a practice
  17. swing — in golf
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cell — in biology
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — 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