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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ 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. mate — a friend
  2. pass — a permit
  3. tear — from crying
  4. prune — to trim
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. prune — to trim
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mate — a partner
  11. suit — clothes
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mate — to breed
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mug — to rob
  18. press — newspapers
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mug — a face
  21. press — to push
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pass — to spend time
  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