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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · wind · pass · straw · foot · hide · mate · current

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. tube — a container
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mate — a partner
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pass — a permit
  7. current — of water
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. wind — moving air
  13. foot — a measure
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wind — moving air
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wind — to turn a key

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