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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: current · spring · press · fan · face · root · mark · land

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. root — the cause
  3. press — a publisher
  4. current — of water
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. face — to point toward
  10. spring — a coil
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. press — to push
  13. land — ground
  14. press — newspapers
  15. current — electric
  16. land — to come down
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. spring — the season
  19. face — to confront
  20. root — of a word
  21. land — a country
  22. mark — a trace
  23. face — part of the head
  24. spring — of water

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