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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 · root · suit · foot · last · wave · rush · wind

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. root — of a word
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wind — moving air
  13. root — the cause
  14. suit — to fit
  15. press — a publisher
  16. last — to go on
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. rush — hurry
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. suit — in cards
  22. last — finally
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. last — final

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