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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: staff · cell · ground · suit · bay · pass · press · mine

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. press — to push
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. suit — to fit
  15. ground — a position
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ground — crushed
  19. staff — employees
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. staff — employees
  23. cell — a phone
  24. suit — clothes

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