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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stock — shares
  5. lean — to bend
  6. charge — a price
  7. stand — to bear
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. spell — magic
  11. chair — a leader
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. charge — in control
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stock — goods
  24. straw — a straw man

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