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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.

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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: mine · calf · saw · rush · rock · spring · pop · wound

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. spring — a coil
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. rush — hurry
  7. spring — of water
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wound — an injury
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mine — for digging
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pop — music
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pop — soda
  22. rock — music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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