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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. spring — of water
  3. bank — of a river
  4. spring — a coil
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — the most important part
  7. last — to go on
  8. hand — in cards
  9. last — finally
  10. key — for a lock
  11. last — final
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. key — in music
  14. bank — for money
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bank — for money
  20. hand — help
  21. chip — to eat
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spring — the season
  24. chip — for betting

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