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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. suit — in cards
  9. lean — thin
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pass — a permit
  14. press — a publisher
  15. perch — the fish
  16. charge — in control
  17. cap — a hat
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tear — from crying
  20. charge — a price
  21. press — newspapers
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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