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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 · press · stand · rule · bark · lean · fan · game

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lean — thin
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rule — government
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. press — a publisher
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stand — on your feet

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