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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. press — to push
  4. face — part of the head
  5. present — there
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. face — to point toward
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. snap — to click
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lean — to bend
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rule — government
  19. face — to confront
  20. rule — a law
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pass — to spend time

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