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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: snap · track · root · wave · saw · drill · spring · press

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. snap — to click
  2. press — a publisher
  3. drill — army training
  4. root — the cause
  5. press — newspapers
  6. track — a song
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spring — the season
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. drill — a practice
  11. root — of a plant
  12. track — a path
  13. root — of a word
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. spring — of water
  18. track — to keep track
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. spring — a coil
  22. press — to push
  23. drill — the tool
  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