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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: spring · bulb · bore · shower · plane · can · saw · root

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. spring — the season
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. shower — to wash
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bulb — for light
  15. plane — a tool
  16. spring — of water
  17. bore — to drill
  18. can — a tin
  19. shower — rain
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bore — to tire
  22. root — of a plant
  23. spring — a coil
  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