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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lean — thin
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. charge — a price
  16. pitch — completely
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lean — to bend
  21. press — newspapers
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. squash — the sport

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