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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 116 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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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: wake · pass · club · drill · race · press · leaves · bowl

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wake — a trail
  4. press — a publisher
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. race — humankind
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. drill — army training
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. race — a contest
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. press — to push
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. press — newspapers
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. race — the arms race
  24. club — for golf

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