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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: file · root · spell · degree · spring · foot · ruler · nail

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. spell — magic
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. file — a tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. root — the cause
  7. foot — a measure
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spell — a short time
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a document
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. file — a line of people
  17. degree — from a university
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. root — of a plant
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spring — a coil
  23. degree — temperature
  24. root — of a word

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