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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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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: hand · season · tube · squash · current · root · saw · file

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. current — of water
  4. root — the cause
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. current — happening now
  7. squash — to crush
  8. hand — in cards
  9. root — of a word
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. file — a document
  12. squash — the sport
  13. file — a tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. current — electric
  18. season — of the year
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. file — a line of people
  21. tube — the underground
  22. hand — help
  23. season — in sport
  24. tube — a container

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