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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 120 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
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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: present · charge · fan · cap · root · tear · spring · mouse

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. charge — a price
  7. spring — a coil
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tear — from crying
  10. present — the time now
  11. spring — of water
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. spring — the season
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. charge — electricity
  16. root — of a word
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. charge — in control
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. tear — to rip
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — of a plant

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