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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: leaves · spring · face · wax · root · bowl · current · lash

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. face — to confront
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. current — of water
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. face — part of the head
  12. root — of a word
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. spring — of water
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. current — happening now
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wax — to grow
  22. spring — a coil
  23. current — electric
  24. spring — the season

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