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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. sharp — clever
  4. charge — electricity
  5. season — of the year
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. root — of a word
  8. race — humankind
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. root — of a plant
  12. race — the arms race
  13. lean — thin
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. season — in sport
  16. charge — a price
  17. prune — to trim
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. charge — in control
  20. root — the cause
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. prune — to trim
  23. race — a contest
  24. lean — to bend

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