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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: mine · rush · spring · cabinet · root · squash · roll · foot

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. foot — a measure
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. spring — of water
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rush — hurry
  20. squash — the sport
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. roll — a cake

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