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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: mine · hide · sharp · press · cabinet · tear · vault · suit

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. press — a publisher
  3. suit — clothes
  4. tear — from crying
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. vault — a safe
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mine — for digging
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tear — to rip
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. press — to push
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. suit — to fit
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — in cards

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