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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. chip — to eat
  3. object — a thing
  4. pass — a permit
  5. press — newspapers
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. object — to protest
  8. can — to be able to
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. object — an aim
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. row — to paddle
  18. saw — the tool
  19. press — to push
  20. chip — for betting
  21. can — a tin
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. press — a publisher
  24. row — a line

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