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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · toast · root · spring · wound · firm · key · shower

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. key — in music
  3. root — of a plant
  4. spring — a coil
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. root — of a word
  7. clip — to cut
  8. key — the most important part
  9. toast — bread
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wound — an injury
  12. firm — a company
  13. clip — for paper
  14. shower — rain
  15. root — the cause
  16. firm — decided
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. spring — of water
  22. firm — steady
  23. shower — to wash
  24. clip — a video

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