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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: bound · last · wave · present · can · root · spring · kid

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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 — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. present — a gift
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. root — of a word
  6. can — to be able to
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. present — there
  9. last — to go on
  10. bound — tied together
  11. present — the time now
  12. can — a tin
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — child
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. last — finally
  21. can — a tin
  22. spring — of water
  23. last — final
  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