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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: present · spring · root · trunk · lash · cell · current · ball

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. spring — of water
  3. root — of a word
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. present — the time now
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cell — a phone
  9. current — happening now
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ball — a dance
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. spring — the season
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ball — a great time
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. current — electric
  20. root — the cause
  21. present — there
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cell — in biology
  24. present — a gift

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