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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pop — soda
  11. press — to push
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. kid — child
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pop — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lean — thin
  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