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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · game · squash · face · rash · spring · root · object

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. game — a match
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rash — hasty
  5. root — of a word
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. object — to protest
  8. squash — the sport
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. face — to confront
  11. squash — to crush
  12. face — part of the head
  13. game — wild animals
  14. spring — of water
  15. face — to point toward
  16. spring — the season
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. rash — a series
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. object — an aim
  21. spring — a coil
  22. object — a thing
  23. pound — a weight
  24. squash — the vegetable

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