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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: press · wake · pass · drill · can · kid · wave · pit

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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 — a permit
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pit — in a race
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. drill — army training
  12. wake — a trail
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. kid — child
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. press — to push
  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