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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: squash · press · lie · drill · root · wave · cabinet · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. root — the cause
  3. press — newspapers
  4. drill — the tool
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bear — the animal
  8. drill — army training
  9. press — a publisher
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. press — to push
  15. drill — a practice
  16. squash — to crush
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. root — of a word
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. root — of a plant

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