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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: root · spring · board · tube · face · charge · object · land

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. face — to point toward
  3. root — of a word
  4. spring — a coil
  5. charge — electricity
  6. board — a committee
  7. object — to protest
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. object — a thing
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. face — to confront
  13. root — of a plant
  14. face — part of the head
  15. tube — a container
  16. root — the cause
  17. object — an aim
  18. charge — in control
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. board — to get on
  22. land — to come down
  23. charge — a price
  24. spring — the season

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