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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: rush · wave · fork · court · press · bowl · root · nail

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. court — of a king
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. court — of law
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. press — newspapers
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. root — the cause
  13. press — a publisher
  14. court — for sport
  15. press — to push
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. rush — hurry
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bowl — to roll

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