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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 116 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: current · trunk · mine · capital · saw · cabinet · press · root

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. press — newspapers
  3. capital — a city
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. capital — money
  6. root — the cause
  7. saw — the tool
  8. current — electric
  9. mine — for digging
  10. current — happening now
  11. press — to push
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. root — of a word
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. saw — the tool
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. press — a publisher
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. current — of water
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of a car

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