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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: straw · spring · last · can · ground · wind · root · mug

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. spring — a coil
  3. root — of a plant
  4. spring — the season
  5. last — final
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. root — the cause
  8. spring — of water
  9. can — to be able to
  10. last — finally
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mug — a face
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mug — to rob
  16. can — a tin
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. last — to go on
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mug — a cup
  24. can — a tin

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