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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: spell · squash · spring · root · chip · nail · ball · tear

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chip — to eat
  10. squash — the sport
  11. tear — from crying
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ball — a great time
  14. tear — to rip
  15. root — of a plant
  16. spring — the season
  17. chip — for betting
  18. tear — from crying
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. root — of a word
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. root — the cause
  24. ball — a dance

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