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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 116 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: face · spring · root · pop · fan · snap · court · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pop — music
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. root — the cause
  5. snap — to click
  6. face — to point toward
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. face — part of the head
  9. root — of a word
  10. pop — soda
  11. spring — of water
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rash — hasty
  14. court — of a king
  15. spring — a coil
  16. court — for sport
  17. pop — to visit
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spring — the season
  22. court — of law
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. face — to confront

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