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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: spring · root · present · bulb · hand · dip · charge · leaves

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. charge — electricity
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. present — a gift
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. spring — of water
  14. dip — to sink
  15. root — of a plant
  16. charge — in control
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. root — of a word
  20. charge — a price
  21. present — the time now
  22. bulb — for light
  23. present — there
  24. root — the cause

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