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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 120 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.

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: can · chest · press · ground · bay · lean · last · pass

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. chest — a box
  5. pass — a permit
  6. lean — to bend
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. ground — a position
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. last — to go on
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lean — thin
  17. can — a tin
  18. last — final
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. last — finally
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lean — to rest against

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