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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. cell — in biology
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. row — a line
  14. snap — to click
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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