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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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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 · press · race · march · craft · field · rest · lash

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. press — to push
  3. race — the arms race
  4. craft — boats
  5. root — the cause
  6. march — the month
  7. field — farmland
  8. rest — what's left
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rest — what's left
  11. craft — a skill
  12. race — a contest
  13. rest — a break
  14. field — for sport
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. root — of a word
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. press — newspapers
  20. field — a subject
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. race — humankind
  23. lash — to lash out
  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