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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: deal · pass · rest · rule · lash · press · pound · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rule — government
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rule — a law
  9. press — to push
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rest — a break
  13. deal — to handle
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stock — goods
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pound — a weight

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