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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. spring — of water
  5. date — the fruit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. spring — the season
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rush — hurry
  11. root — the cause
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bore — to tire
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. saw — the tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. spring — a coil

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