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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: spring · row · mate · toast · rush · root · kick · chair

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. spring — the season
  3. toast — bread
  4. mate — a friend
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. root — of a plant
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mate — a partner
  16. root — of a word
  17. row — a line
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chair — a leader
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. mate — to breed
  24. spring — of water

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