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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: spring · object · cell · bowl · swing · root · rash · tube

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. spring — the season
  3. tube — the underground
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rash — hasty
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. spring — of water
  9. object — an aim
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. swing — music
  13. root — of a word
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. swing — in golf
  16. root — the cause
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. object — a thing
  19. cell — a phone
  20. tube — a container
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. spring — a coil
  24. object — to protest

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