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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. key — for a lock
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. key — in music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to click
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. key — the most important part
  16. file — a document
  17. spring — the season
  18. deal — to handle
  19. file — a tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spring — of water
  23. rock — a stone
  24. file — a line of people

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