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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: bulb · dip · chest · track · root · spring · row · mouse

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. spring — the season
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. track — a path
  8. root — of a plant
  9. chest — of your body
  10. dip — to sink
  11. root — the cause
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. spring — of water
  16. track — a song
  17. spring — a coil
  18. row — a line
  19. chest — a box
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. row — to paddle
  24. chest — of your body

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