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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: stem · kid · date · snap · toast · press · capital · pass

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. press — newspapers
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. snap — to click
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. capital — money
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. kid — child
  14. date — the fruit
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stem — to come from
  18. kid — to tease
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. press — to push
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. capital — a city
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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