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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: root · current · rush · firm · foot · cell · press · stick

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. current — electric
  3. firm — steady
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. root — the cause
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. current — of water
  9. firm — decided
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. root — of a word
  14. press — to push
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. root — of a plant
  20. current — happening now
  21. press — newspapers
  22. firm — a company
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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