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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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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: saw · band · mine · root · spring · lash · kid · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. band — a ring
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. saw — the tool
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. root — of a word
  11. kid — child
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. band — a music group
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. root — the cause
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spring — a coil
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. lash — to lash out

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