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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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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: pass · rest · tear · roll · squash · lash · press · dip

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pass — a permit
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. roll — a list
  11. rest — a break
  12. press — a publisher
  13. squash — to crush
  14. press — newspapers
  15. dip — to sink
  16. press — to push
  17. tear — from crying
  18. roll — a cake
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rest — what's left
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lash — to lash out

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