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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ground — the earth
  5. press — newspapers
  6. dip — to sink
  7. press — to push
  8. key — the most important part
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ground — crushed
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rush — hurry
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. drill — the tool
  19. key — in music
  20. drill — a practice
  21. press — a publisher
  22. drill — army training
  23. key — for a lock
  24. date — the fruit

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