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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.

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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: spring · racket · root · bowl · saw · fall · sharp · patient

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. spring — a coil
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fall — to drop
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. root — the cause
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. saw — the tool
  16. root — of a word
  17. fall — the season
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spring — the season
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fall — to drop
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. root — of a plant

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