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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. last — finally
  3. press — newspapers
  4. squash — the sport
  5. band — a music group
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. press — a publisher
  8. last — to go on
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spell — letters
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. squash — to crush
  18. band — a ring
  19. spell — magic
  20. rush — hurry
  21. last — final
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. press — to push

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