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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. drill — a practice
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wind — moving air
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. press — to push
  10. current — of water
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. charge — electricity
  15. drill — the tool
  16. current — happening now
  17. charge — a price
  18. drill — army training
  19. current — electric
  20. press — a publisher
  21. charge — in control
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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