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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spring — of water
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. key — for a lock
  14. spring — the season
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. spring — a coil
  19. ground — crushed
  20. key — in music
  21. ground — a position
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. key — the most important part
  24. kick — in football

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