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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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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. root — of a word
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. spring — the season
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. spring — of water
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stem — to come from
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. root — the cause

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