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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. press — to push
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cell — in biology
  5. present — there
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cell — a phone
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. present — a gift
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. press — a publisher
  21. present — the time now
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. press — newspapers

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