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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: spring · content · wake · board · cap · hide · ball · root

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. root — of a plant
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. root — of a word
  9. content — happy
  10. root — the cause
  11. content — the amount
  12. cap — of ice
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cap — a hat
  18. spring — of water
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. spring — the season
  24. board — to get on

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