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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · wave · press · bank · stick · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. march — the month
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bank — for money
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. march — the month
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. march — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. press — to push

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