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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rash — a series
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mate — a friend
  9. press — to push
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mate — a partner
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. track — a song
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mate — to breed

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