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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: press · trunk · rock · cell · charge · root · rest · net

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. charge — in control
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. rest — a break
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. net — in sport
  9. rock — music
  10. press — to push
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. charge — a price
  13. press — a publisher
  14. net — for catching
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cell — a phone
  18. net — after costs
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. press — newspapers
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cell — in biology
  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