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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pass — a permit
  3. current — of water
  4. root — of a word
  5. shower — to wash
  6. root — the cause
  7. ground — the earth
  8. current — electric
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rash — a series
  11. press — a publisher
  12. spell — a short time
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. press — newspapers
  16. current — happening now
  17. rash — hasty
  18. press — to push
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. spell — letters
  21. shower — rain
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. rash — on the skin

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