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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 116 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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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: pound · patient · spring · ruler · root · kid · saw · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pound — a weight
  7. spring — the season
  8. kid — child
  9. root — of a word
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — to tease
  12. root — of a plant
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. root — the cause
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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