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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rock — a stone
  4. object — an aim
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. object — a thing
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pass — a permit
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ground — crushed
  21. degree — temperature
  22. ground — a position
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mine — for digging

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