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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: tube · spring · root · row · ball · arm · fan · hide

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — the season
  4. tube — a container
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. ball — a dance
  10. root — of a word
  11. spring — of water
  12. root — of a plant
  13. tube — the underground
  14. root — the cause
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. ball — a great time
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. row — a line
  23. arm — part of the body
  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