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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: toast · calf · root · spring · rush · roll · mine · file

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. spring — a coil
  3. roll — a cake
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. spring — of water
  8. file — a tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. root — of a word
  13. roll — a list
  14. toast — bread
  15. file — a document
  16. root — the cause
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. spring — the season
  19. mine — for digging
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. root — of a plant
  24. mine — an explosive

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