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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 124 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: press · wave · hide · trunk · prune · root · shower · race

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. press — to push
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. root — of a word
  7. race — humankind
  8. root — the cause
  9. prune — to trim
  10. root — of a plant
  11. race — the arms race
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. race — a contest
  15. prune — to trim
  16. shower — to wash
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wave — with your hand

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