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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. press — to push
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. craft — boats
  10. press — a publisher
  11. craft — a skill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rash — a series
  15. pass — a permit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tear — to rip
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rash — hasty
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rash — on the skin

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