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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: chest · ruler · pass · kid · craft · roll · lie · press

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pass — a permit
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. craft — a skill
  9. roll — a list
  10. press — a publisher
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lie — to recline
  13. chest — of your body
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. press — to push
  18. chest — a box
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. roll — a cake
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. press — newspapers

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