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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fork — in a road
  18. ground — a position
  19. spell — magic
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. press — to push
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. press — newspapers
  24. spell — letters

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