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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.

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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: wind · wave · leaves · spring · date · root · fork · rock

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wind — moving air
  8. spring — of water
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. root — of a word
  17. rock — music
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fork — in a road
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. leaves — of a tree

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