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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. shower — to wash
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. press — a publisher
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. shower — rain
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bank — of a river
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bank — for money
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bank — for money

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