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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: date · sharp · hide · press · key · branch · court · dip

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. court — for sport
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. sharp — clever
  7. date — the fruit
  8. key — in music
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. court — of a king
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. press — a publisher
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. court — of law
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. dip — to sink
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. press — newspapers
  22. branch — a division
  23. dip — to dunk
  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