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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 120 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: spring · root · tear · sharp · fall · coach · dip · ruler

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tear — from crying
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. root — the cause
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. spring — the season
  13. tear — from crying
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fall — to drop
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. root — of a word
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fall — the season
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. tear — to rip

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