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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bulb — for light
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wind — moving air
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pass — to succeed

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