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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bore — to drill
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. spring — of water
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bore — to tire
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bank — for money
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. dip — to sink
  24. row — a quarrel

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