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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: pass · chair · press · fine · shower · hide · rock · stick

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fine — all right
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. press — a publisher
  17. shower — rain
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. shower — to wash
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. chair — to sit on

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