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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. press — to push
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mine — for digging
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. lean — thin
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. press — newspapers
  24. trunk — of a car

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