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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. ball — a dance
  7. face — to confront
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. press — to push
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. deal — to handle
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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