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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fall — the season
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cell — a phone
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cell — in biology
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stand — to bear

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