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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: rash · spring · pass · bat · racket · press · bear · mine

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mine — for digging
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. press — a publisher
  9. spring — the season
  10. press — newspapers
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. spring — of water
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pass — a permit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rash — hasty
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rash — a series

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