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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: toast · squash · trunk · capital · press · safe · sharp · mouse

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. press — a publisher
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. squash — to crush
  9. capital — a city
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. sharp — clever
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — money
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. squash — the sport
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mouse — for a computer

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