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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: cabinet · root · shower · rule · date · current · spring · charge

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. spring — the season
  5. rule — a law
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. spring — a coil
  9. date — the fruit
  10. shower — to wash
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. shower — rain
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. root — the cause
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — electric
  20. charge — a price
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. charge — in control
  24. rule — government

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