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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: saw · straw · fan · press · racket · sharp · leaves · bark

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. press — newspapers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. press — to push
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. press — a publisher
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bark — to shout
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. sharp — exactly

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