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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 · ruler · date · dip · spring · file · root · drill

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. file — a document
  3. spring — of water
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. drill — the tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. snap — to click
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. file — a tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. file — a line of people
  12. dip — to sink
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. root — of a word
  15. drill — army training
  16. spring — the season
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. date — the fruit
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. root — of a plant
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. spring — a coil

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