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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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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: pass · lash · press · ground · dip · bear · coach · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pass — a permit
  4. press — to push
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ground — crushed
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. ground — a position

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