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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: content · hand · fork · nail · sharp · date · vault · press

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. press — to push
  10. date — the fruit
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. content — the amount
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. content — happy
  17. hand — help
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — newspapers
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fork — to eat with

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