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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 · cold · spring · can · spell · vault · safe · stem

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. spell — letters
  3. spring — the season
  4. stem — to come from
  5. spell — magic
  6. can — a tin
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. cold — not warm
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spring — of water
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. can — a tin
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. spring — a coil
  19. vault — a safe
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. spell — a short time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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