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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: saw · swing · shower · nail · spring · safe · stock · root

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — goods
  4. root — of a word
  5. swing — in golf
  6. root — of a plant
  7. spring — of water
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. shower — to wash
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. swing — music
  15. shower — rain
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — shares
  18. saw — the tool
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. root — the cause
  21. swing — to play on
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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