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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: wake · rule · season · wave · root · spring · scale · bulb

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. root — the cause
  3. spring — of water
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. spring — the season
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. rule — government
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. root — of a word
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. season — in sport
  23. root — of a plant
  24. season — of the year

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