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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. root — of a word
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fall — to drop
  6. present — there
  7. file — a tool
  8. root — the cause
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pass — a permit
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rush — hurry
  15. file — a document
  16. fall — the season
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. present — a gift
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. leaves — lets stay

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