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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ground — a position
  12. press — to push
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. ground — crushed
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fork — in a road
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pass — a permit
  22. press — a publisher
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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