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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. press — to push
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. craft — a skill
  6. band — a ring
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ground — a position
  10. bat — the animal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. band — a music group
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ground — crushed
  24. craft — boats

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