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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. branch — a division
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. chest — of your body
  10. press — a publisher
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chest — a box
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. press — to push

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