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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: cabinet · root · stock · press · wax · lean · file · swing

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. root — of a word
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. lean — to bend
  8. swing — to play on
  9. root — the cause
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lean — thin
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. press — to push
  18. file — a line of people
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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