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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.

Make a worksheet

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: date · object · press · hide · pass · bass · straw · leaves

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. press — a publisher
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. press — newspapers
  16. object — an aim
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bass — low music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. straw — dry grass

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