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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 120 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: root · stick · wax · press · tear · present · coach · pop

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. root — the cause
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — soda
  5. present — a gift
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pop — music
  8. root — of a plant
  9. press — to push
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wax — to grow
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. present — there
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. present — the time now
  17. root — of a word
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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