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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: cell · root · cabinet · mouse · spring · degree · wave · current

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. current — of water
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — an amount
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. current — happening now
  11. spring — the season
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. spring — of water
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. root — of a word
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cell — a phone
  20. current — electric
  21. spring — a coil
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. degree — temperature

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