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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
468
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: spring · current · root · sharp · season · straw · bat · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bat — the animal
  9. current — of water
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. spring — of water
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. current — happening now
  17. root — of a plant
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. current — electric
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. season — in sport
  24. saw — the tool

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