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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.

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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: fan · root · face · bulb · bank · charge · spring · wound

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bank — for money
  4. root — the cause
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bank — of a river
  7. charge — in control
  8. wound — an injury
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bulb — for light
  12. charge — a price
  13. root — of a word
  14. bank — for money
  15. charge — electricity
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. face — part of the head
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. face — to confront
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wound — an injury

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