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

Word bank: deal · bay · wind · root · swing · press

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. swing — in golf
  3. press — a publisher
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. press — to push
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. swing — to play on
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. swing — music
  18. wind — moving air

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