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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: root · spring · wake · bark · lash · chair · bore · press

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. root — of a word
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. spring — the season
  5. press — to push
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. root — of a plant
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. spring — a coil
  12. root — the cause
  13. chair — a leader
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bark — to shout
  24. wake — a trail

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