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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: root · wind · current · wave · staff · spring · pop · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wind — moving air
  4. current — happening now
  5. wind — moving air
  6. staff — employees
  7. rock — a stone
  8. root — of a word
  9. staff — employees
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. root — the cause
  13. pop — to visit
  14. current — electric
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. spring — of water
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pop — soda
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pop — music
  22. spring — the season
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. current — of water

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