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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. season — of the year
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. press — to push
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. root — the cause
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pass — a permit
  19. root — of a word
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ball — a great time
  22. season — in sport
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ball — a dance

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