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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spring · root · bear · current · fine · bowl · drill · chest

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. spring — the season
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chest — a box
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chest — of your body
  9. root — the cause
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. current — of water
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. spring — a coil
  19. root — of a word
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. chest — of your body
  23. spring — of water
  24. bear — the animal

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