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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: cap · squash · wind · root · wax · press · jam · coach

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wind — moving air
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cap — a hat
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. root — of a plant
  12. press — newspapers
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. root — the cause
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. press — a publisher
  19. root — of a word
  20. wax — to grow
  21. squash — the sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cap — of ice
  24. press — to push

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