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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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 — a permit
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rule — a law
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. last — to go on
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rule — government
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. last — final
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pit — a hole
  18. chair — a leader
  19. press — a publisher
  20. last — finally
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. press — to push
  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