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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: wake · hide · press · clip · sharp · scale · suit · shower

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. suit — clothes
  6. press — to push
  7. clip — a video
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. scale — in music
  15. press — a publisher
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. clip — for paper
  19. suit — to fit
  20. shower — rain
  21. clip — to cut
  22. scale — size or range
  23. suit — in cards
  24. scale — for weighing

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