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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: march · pop · current · lean · press · patient · spring · root

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — to visit
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. march — the month
  10. root — the cause
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lean — thin
  14. march — music
  15. spring — of water
  16. root — of a plant
  17. march — the month
  18. root — of a word
  19. current — of water
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pop — soda
  22. spring — the season
  23. pop — music
  24. press — a publisher

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