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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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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: calf · root · mark · wind · rest · wave · press · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. root — of a word
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rest — a break
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rest — what's left
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wind — moving air
  11. charge — in control
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. root — of a plant
  17. press — to push
  18. root — the cause
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mark — a grade
  21. press — a publisher
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. charge — electricity
  24. mark — a trace

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