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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: fall · degree · current · bound · rest · root · spring · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bound — certain
  3. face — part of the head
  4. spring — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — of a word
  7. rest — what's left
  8. root — the cause
  9. rest — a break
  10. face — to confront
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bound — tied together
  13. spring — of water
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. spring — a coil
  19. current — electric
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fall — the season
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fall — to drop
  24. root — of a plant

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