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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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Word bank
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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: rash · press · bore · pass · chair · foot

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. press — to push
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bore — to tire
  8. press — a publisher
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rash — a series
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pass — a permit
  14. foot — a measure
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bore — to drill

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