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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: can · calf · ball · nail · dip · spring · ground · root

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. ground — crushed
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. spring — of water
  7. dip — to sink
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ball — a great time
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. root — of a word
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ground — a position
  22. root — the cause
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. can — a tin

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