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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 116 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: hide · racket · wave · root · kid · fork · leaves · press

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. kid — to tease
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. press — a publisher
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. press — to push
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. press — newspapers
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. kid — child
  24. fork — a garden tool

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