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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: sharp · press · bulb · hand · mark · bank · perch · cell

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bank — of a river
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. cell — a phone
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hand — help
  13. cell — in biology
  14. press — to push
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mark — a grade
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mark — a trace

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