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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: press · cold · file · root · drill · lash · leaves · patient

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. root — of a plant
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cold — an illness
  7. file — a document
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. drill — the tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. press — newspapers
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — army training
  17. file — a tool
  18. root — of a word
  19. file — a line of people
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. root — the cause
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cold — not warm

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