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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. track — a song
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. track — a path
  5. pass — a permit
  6. track — to keep track
  7. press — a publisher
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. suit — clothes
  15. plane — a tool
  16. suit — in cards
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — to push
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. foot — a measure
  21. suit — to fit
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. press — newspapers

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