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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: bowl · root · snap · stem · land · lash · wind · press

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. root — of a word
  6. press — to push
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. land — to come down
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. land — a country
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. land — ground
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. press — a publisher
  22. root — of a plant
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stem — a stem cell

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