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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: press · nail · pass · bass · rush · rock · cabinet · kick

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pass — a permit
  9. press — to push
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rock — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. press — newspapers
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. press — a publisher
  24. kick — in football

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