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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: bulb · rush · suit · cold · press · rash · chest · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rush — hurry
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. chest — a box
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cold — not warm
  12. rash — a series
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. suit — to fit
  16. press — to push
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cold — an illness
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rush — a thrill

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