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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. root — the cause
  7. can — a tin
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spring — the season
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wind — moving air
  14. spell — letters
  15. can — a tin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wind — moving air
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spring — a coil
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spell — magic
  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