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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. current — of water
  4. land — a country
  5. root — of a plant
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — to crush
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. clip — a video
  14. current — electric
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. can — a tin
  18. land — to come down
  19. current — happening now
  20. land — ground
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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