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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. firm — decided
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. firm — steady
  5. court — of law
  6. present — the time now
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wind — moving air
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wind — moving air
  16. court — for sport
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. press — to push
  19. court — of a king
  20. firm — a company
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pass — to spend time

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