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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · row · perch · current · press · hide · root · saw

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. row — to paddle
  3. current — of water
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. current — electric
  6. root — the cause
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. current — happening now
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. root — of a word
  11. saw — the tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. press — newspapers
  15. root — of a plant
  16. row — a line
  17. press — to push
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. perch — the fish
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. saw — the tool
  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