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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. wound — an injury
  3. root — the cause
  4. clip — a video
  5. spring — of water
  6. deal — to handle
  7. spring — the season
  8. mate — a partner
  9. clip — to cut
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bear — the animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bear — the animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mate — to breed
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mate — a friend

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