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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. spring — of water
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ground — a position
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. press — to push
  17. ground — crushed
  18. craft — a skill
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. spring — the season
  21. press — a publisher
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. sharp — with an edge

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