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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. press — to push
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — the season
  9. wind — moving air
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rush — hurry
  19. press — newspapers
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spring — of water
  24. pass — a permit

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