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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cold — an illness
  7. press — to push
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. current — electric
  10. cold — not warm
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pit — in a race
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. pop — soda
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. press — a publisher

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