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

Word bank: leaves · kid · pass · chair · press · pound

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pass — a permit
  5. press — a publisher
  6. chair — a leader
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pound — a weight
  12. press — to push
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. kid — child

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