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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: press · face · cabinet · season · plane · bulb · wind · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. face — to confront
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. season — in sport
  7. press — to push
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bulb — for light
  13. season — of the year
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. face — part of the head
  20. root — of a word
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. root — the cause
  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