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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: cabinet · press · branch · clip · wind · pound · squash · root

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. root — the cause
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wind — moving air
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. clip — a video
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. clip — for paper
  17. press — newspapers
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wind — moving air
  24. clip — to cut

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