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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: hand · drill · root · roll · field · press · coach · wax

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. hand — in cards
  3. drill — a practice
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. press — a publisher
  7. drill — army training
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. root — the cause
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. press — to push
  13. root — of a plant
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. field — a subject
  23. root — of a word
  24. hand — help

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