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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 120 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pit — a hole
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rash — hasty
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mate — to breed
  18. chest — a box
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pit — in a race

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