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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: toast · ground · march · pass · sharp · chest · kick · press

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. ground — the earth
  5. march — the month
  6. ground — a position
  7. press — a publisher
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. toast — bread
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. press — newspapers
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. sharp — clever
  19. march — the month
  20. ground — crushed
  21. chest — of your body
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. press — to push
  24. march — music

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