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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. press — a publisher
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. snap — to click
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. object — a thing
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. press — to push
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. hide — to keep secret

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