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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 120 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 · foot · wax · can · perch · chip · kid

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. chip — to eat
  3. can — a tin
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. can — a tin
  6. kid — to tease
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. chip — for betting
  12. root — the cause
  13. perch — the fish
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. wax — to grow
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. can — to be able to
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. root — of a plant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — of a word
  24. press — newspapers

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