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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 116 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: bound · face · sharp · cue · rash · racket · scale · press

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. sharp — clever
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — obliged
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cue — for pool
  8. press — a publisher
  9. face — to confront
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. press — to push
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rash — a series
  17. bound — certain
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rash — hasty
  20. scale — in music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. scale — size or range

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