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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · pass · rush · bore · calf · racket · press · leaves

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pit — in a race
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bore — to drill
  12. press — to push
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. press — newspapers
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rush — hurry
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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