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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: root · rush · season · lash · wound · drill · press · cabinet

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. season — of the year
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. root — the cause
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. root — of a plant
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wound — an injury
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. drill — a practice
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. drill — army training

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