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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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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: band · snap · pass · squash · perch · press · can · toast

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. band — a music group
  4. pass — a permit
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. squash — to crush
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. toast — bread
  9. squash — the sport
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. band — a ring
  12. can — a tin
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. can — to be able to
  15. press — to push
  16. perch — the fish
  17. snap — to click
  18. press — a publisher
  19. can — a tin
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. press — newspapers

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