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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rule — government
  3. firm — a company
  4. press — to push
  5. file — a document
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. press — newspapers
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pass — to succeed

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