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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · last · squash · root · can · charge · spring · shower

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. squash — to crush
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. spring — the season
  5. root — of a word
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. spring — of water
  8. charge — electricity
  9. shower — to wash
  10. squash — the sport
  11. can — to be able to
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. root — of a plant
  16. last — finally
  17. root — the cause
  18. shower — rain
  19. charge — in control
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. charge — a price
  23. can — a tin
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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