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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: snap · spring · can · cabinet · leaves · root · mate · wind

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mate — a partner
  8. root — the cause
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wind — moving air
  11. spring — a coil
  12. can — a tin
  13. root — of a word
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mate — a friend
  16. can — to be able to
  17. spring — the season
  18. mate — to breed
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spring — of water

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