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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lean — thin
  3. current — of water
  4. root — of a plant
  5. snap — to click
  6. drill — army training
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. root — the cause
  10. spring — a coil
  11. current — electric
  12. spring — of water
  13. mug — a cup
  14. root — of a word
  15. lean — to bend
  16. current — happening now
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. dip — to sink

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