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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: squash · calf · mate · root · fan · roll · key · spring

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mate — to breed
  8. key — for a lock
  9. root — of a word
  10. roll — a list
  11. key — in music
  12. spring — of water
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. squash — to crush
  15. root — of a plant
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. root — the cause
  18. key — the most important part
  19. spring — the season
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mate — a friend
  23. roll — a cake
  24. spring — a coil

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