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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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. pass — a permit
  4. cap — a lid
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. land — ground
  10. wax — to grow
  11. press — a publisher
  12. cap — a hat
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mate — a partner
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cap — of ice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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