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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · ground · object · press · face · clip · bay · mine

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. press — newspapers
  4. object — to protest
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. clip — for paper
  10. ground — the earth
  11. object — an aim
  12. ground — a position
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. clip — a video
  15. face — to confront
  16. ground — crushed
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mine — for digging
  22. face — to point toward
  23. clip — to cut
  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