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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 covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. mug — a face
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. object — to protest
  14. ground — crushed
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. ground — a position
  17. wake — a trail
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mug — a cup
  24. press — newspapers

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