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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: wave · lash · spring · row · root · roll · cabinet · tube

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. spring — of water
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. spring — the season
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. root — the cause
  11. roll — a list
  12. row — a line
  13. tube — the underground
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. tube — a container
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. spring — a coil
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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