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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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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 · fall · tear · mark · spring · band · chair

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. spring — of water
  4. fall — the season
  5. band — a ring
  6. tear — from crying
  7. band — a music group
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. spring — the season
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. root — of a plant
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. kick — in football
  21. tear — from crying
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. tear — to rip

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