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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
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: mine · nail · temple · root · pop · spring · mouse · object

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. root — of a plant
  4. object — to protest
  5. pop — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. object — a thing
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mine — for digging
  19. root — of a word
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. root — the cause
  22. object — an aim
  23. pop — soda
  24. temple — side of the head

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