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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
468
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: mug · saw · pit · wake · fork · bear · press · ground

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pit — a hole
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mug — a cup
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mug — a face
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pit — in a race
  17. press — to push
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ground — a position
  23. fork — in a road
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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