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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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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: press · race · cabinet · bass · prune · spell · root · wound

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. root — the cause
  4. bass — low music
  5. spell — letters
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spell — a short time
  8. race — humankind
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spell — magic
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. root — of a word
  16. race — the arms race
  17. prune — to trim
  18. press — a publisher
  19. race — a contest
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. press — to push

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