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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: kick · rule · root · cabinet · fan · spring · pitcher · staff

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. staff — employees
  7. root — of a plant
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. kick — in football
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rule — government
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rule — a law
  15. root — the cause
  16. staff — employees
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. staff — a stick
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kick — with a leg

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