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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tube — a container
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. fall — the season
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tube — the underground
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pop — soda
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. content — happy
  16. press — to push
  17. stand — to bear
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. press — newspapers
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pop — music

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