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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · wake · press · bat · pass · bass · toast · dip

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bass — low music
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pass — a permit
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. press — newspapers
  14. toast — bread
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mate — to breed
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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