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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. root — the cause
  5. press — a publisher
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. file — a tool
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. file — a line of people
  17. press — to push
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. file — a document
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. foot — a measure

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