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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 120 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: fall · current · rash · root · spring · bear · foot · rule

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spring — the season
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. root — of a plant
  7. current — happening now
  8. fall — the season
  9. rule — a law
  10. root — the cause
  11. foot — a measure
  12. current — electric
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. current — of water
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rule — government
  20. spring — of water
  21. root — of a word
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spring — a coil
  24. fall — to drop

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