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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. press — newspapers
  4. file — a document
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fine — high quality
  9. file — a line of people
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bass — low music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. file — a tool
  15. pass — a permit
  16. press — to push
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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