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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: key · game · sharp · hide · fan · shower · face · press

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. game — wild animals
  5. sharp — clever
  6. game — a match
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. key — for a lock
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. shower — rain
  11. key — the most important part
  12. press — a publisher
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. shower — to wash
  17. press — newspapers
  18. face — to confront
  19. press — to push
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — in music
  24. sharp — with an edge

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