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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. spring — of water
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. snap — to click
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. spring — the season
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mark — a trace
  19. spring — a coil
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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