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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 116 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. plane — a tool
  3. press — a publisher
  4. tube — the underground
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. swing — in golf
  7. tube — a container
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bore — to drill
  15. press — newspapers
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. press — to push
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. swing — music
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pass — to spend time

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