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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 116 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 · bat · nail · mine · cue · fan · root · deal

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bat — the animal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. root — the cause
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cue — a signal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. spring — of water
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. root — of a word
  18. spring — the season
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cue — a hint
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — an explosive

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