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

Word bank: pass · cell · straw · root · rush · coach · firm · object

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. firm — a company
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. object — an aim
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. root — of a word
  8. firm — decided
  9. object — to protest
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. object — a thing
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pass — a permit
  18. firm — steady
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — a phone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cell — in biology
  24. root — the cause

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