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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. last — final
  5. pass — a permit
  6. toast — bread
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fork — in a road
  9. saw — the tool
  10. press — to push
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. last — finally
  14. saw — the tool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. last — to go on
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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