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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: capital · snap · root · rash · spring · chip · rock · shower

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rash — a series
  3. rock — music
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. root — of a word
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rash — hasty
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rock — a stone
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. chip — for betting
  15. capital — money
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. snap — to click
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. root — the cause
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. capital — a city

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