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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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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: rest · net · stick · pass · press · squash · safe · dip

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. net — after costs
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rest — what's left
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. press — to push
  15. rest — what's left
  16. squash — to crush
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rest — a break
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. dip — to sink
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pass — to spend time

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