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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. track — a song
  5. ground — the earth
  6. press — a publisher
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. dip — to sink
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ground — crushed
  11. press — to push
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ground — a position
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. track — a path
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. track — to keep track
  24. nail — for a hammer

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