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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 116 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 · trunk · fine · saw · object · rush · press · net

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. object — to protest
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rush — hurry
  8. net — in sport
  9. fine — all right
  10. net — after costs
  11. fine — high quality
  12. saw — the tool
  13. object — an aim
  14. root — of a word
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. object — a thing
  17. saw — the tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. press — newspapers
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. press — to push
  22. root — the cause
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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