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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 · kick · cap · fan · press · suit · spring · ground

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. root — the cause
  3. press — to push
  4. ground — a position
  5. cap — of ice
  6. kick — in football
  7. root — of a word
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. press — newspapers
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ground — the earth
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spring — of water
  16. suit — to fit
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cap — a lid
  23. root — of a plant
  24. press — a publisher

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