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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rock — music
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. date — the fruit
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. shower — to wash
  16. spring — the season
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. spring — a coil
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. spring — of water
  22. current — of water
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rock — to move gently

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