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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pass — a permit
  3. press — a publisher
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. row — to paddle
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. bass — low music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. file — a document
  14. drill — the tool
  15. press — to push
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — a line
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pass — to succeed

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