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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. spring — the season
  3. mug — a face
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spring — of water
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mark — a grade
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mug — a cup
  15. drill — army training
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. key — in music
  22. mug — to rob
  23. current — electric
  24. spell — letters

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