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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 120 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wake — a trail
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. pass — a permit
  9. shower — rain
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. shower — to wash
  13. press — to push
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. staff — employees
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. press — a publisher
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. press — newspapers
  22. staff — employees
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. clip — to cut

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