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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: spring · root · fall · temple · wake · mine · stock · saw

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mine — for digging
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. stock — goods
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. spring — the season
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fall — to drop
  15. saw — the tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. root — of a word
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. fall — to drop
  21. saw — the tool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. spring — of water

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