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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. season — in sport
  5. pass — a permit
  6. staff — a stick
  7. sharp — clever
  8. season — of the year
  9. press — newspapers
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bear — the animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. press — a publisher
  23. staff — employees
  24. sharp — exactly

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