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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: can · row · net · press · root · bear · wake · mark

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. row — to paddle
  3. net — for catching
  4. root — the cause
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. can — a tin
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. row — a line
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wake — a trail
  15. net — after costs
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. press — a publisher
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. can — a tin
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. net — in sport
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bear — the animal

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