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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · chair · root · wave · march · press · cabinet · wake

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. root — the cause
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mug — a face
  12. march — the month
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. march — music
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. press — to push
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. march — the month
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. press — a publisher
  23. root — of a word
  24. chair — a leader

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