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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 120 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: sharp · pit · rush · pass · ruler · press · wind · charge

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. press — a publisher
  4. charge — a price
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. press — to push
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. press — newspapers
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. charge — in control
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wind — moving air

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