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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. land — a country
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. press — to push
  8. bound — tied together
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bound — certain
  21. bat — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. press — a publisher

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