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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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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. suit — to fit
  4. spring — a coil
  5. last — finally
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bulb — for light
  8. object — an aim
  9. key — in music
  10. branch — a division
  11. spring — the season
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. object — a thing
  14. bulb — for light
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. suit — in cards
  18. can — a tin
  19. object — to protest
  20. last — to go on
  21. key — the most important part
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. suit — clothes
  24. last — final

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