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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: straw · cold · wind · root · press · bass · pass · season

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. season — of the year
  8. pass — a permit
  9. season — in sport
  10. wind — moving air
  11. root — the cause
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. press — to push
  17. root — of a plant
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. wind — moving air
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. root — of a word
  24. cold — not warm

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