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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 116 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: kick · hide · ball · root · tear · firm · spring · charge

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. charge — in control
  3. tear — to rip
  4. charge — a price
  5. spring — the season
  6. firm — decided
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. spring — of water
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ball — a great time
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. charge — electricity
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. firm — steady
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. firm — a company
  20. root — the cause
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a dance
  23. kick — in football
  24. hide — animal skin

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