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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: root · press · staff · rash · clip · pound · fall · rest

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rest — a break
  3. root — of a word
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pound — a weight
  6. staff — employees
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. root — of a plant
  12. staff — employees
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rash — a series
  15. root — the cause
  16. clip — a video
  17. staff — a stick
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rest — what's left
  23. clip — for paper
  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