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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. spring — of water
  3. root — of a word
  4. pound — a weight
  5. root — the cause
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stand — to bear
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. drill — the tool
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wound — an injury
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. drill — army training
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. spring — the season
  24. saw — the tool

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