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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mug — a face
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. press — newspapers
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pop — to visit
  11. press — to push
  12. mug — a cup
  13. press — a publisher
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pop — soda
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bulb — for light
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pop — music
  24. bulb — for light

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