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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pitch — completely
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. press — to push
  18. sharp — clever
  19. object — to protest
  20. press — a publisher
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. object — an aim
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. object — a thing

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