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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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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: kick · track · rush · press · wax · root · spell · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rush — hurry
  3. track — a path
  4. root — of a plant
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. press — newspapers
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wax — to grow
  12. press — a publisher
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kick — in football
  16. root — of a word
  17. press — to push
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. root — the cause

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