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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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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: patient · press · wake · stem · root · cell · rule · wind

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wind — moving air
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. root — the cause
  5. rule — a law
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wind — moving air
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. press — to push
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rule — government
  19. cell — in biology
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cell — a phone
  23. press — newspapers
  24. root — of a word

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