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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 124 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: spring · tear · squash · root · capital · mouse · current · coach

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. current — happening now
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. spring — a coil
  8. current — of water
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spring — the season
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. root — of a plant
  15. capital — money
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. capital — a city
  18. spring — of water
  19. squash — the sport
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. tear — from crying
  24. current — electric

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