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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. current — happening now
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pass — a permit
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. current — electric
  9. suit — clothes
  10. root — the cause
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. suit — in cards
  13. current — of water
  14. cell — in biology
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. press — newspapers
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. press — to push
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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