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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: wind · jam · root · cap · date · spring · straw · rush

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. root — of a plant
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cap — a hat
  9. spring — of water
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wind — moving air
  16. root — of a word
  17. spring — the season
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rush — hurry
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wind — moving air
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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