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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fine · kick · sharp · chair · toast · press · squash · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. kick — in football
  3. fine — high quality
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. spell — letters
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. press — to push
  10. spell — magic
  11. squash — to crush
  12. press — newspapers
  13. sharp — clever
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — bread
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. press — a publisher
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. squash — the sport

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