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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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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. press — to push
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. current — electric
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. press — newspapers
  14. current — happening now
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. fork — in a road
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. current — of water
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. press — a publisher

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