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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · tube · mine · nail · root · deal

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. spell — letters
  3. root — of a plant
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mine — for digging
  6. root — the cause
  7. spell — a short time
  8. tube — the underground
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tube — a container
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. root — of a word
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — to handle
  18. spell — magic

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