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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: face · root · spring · charge · bulb · race · key · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. race — a contest
  3. root — the cause
  4. charge — a price
  5. spring — the season
  6. face — to point toward
  7. charge — in control
  8. race — the arms race
  9. key — for a lock
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bulb — for light
  12. charge — electricity
  13. root — of a word
  14. face — to confront
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. race — humankind
  17. spring — of water
  18. key — in music
  19. rule — a law
  20. root — of a plant
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bulb — for light
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bulb — 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