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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.

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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: saw · row · cap · spring · dip · nail · mouse · prune

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cap — a hat
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. dip — to sink
  14. row — a line
  15. cap — a lid
  16. saw — the tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cap — of ice
  19. prune — to trim
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mouse — for a computer

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