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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pass — a permit
  5. root — the cause
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. land — a country
  9. bass — low music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. root — of a plant
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. root — of a word
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stand — to bear
  21. land — ground
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. land — to come down

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