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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. last — to go on
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. last — finally
  18. bank — for money
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. bank — for money
  24. last — final

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