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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: net · spell · pass · key · rash · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. net — for catching
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spell — letters
  8. key — in music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. rash — a series
  12. net — after costs
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spell — magic
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. net — in sport
  18. rash — hasty

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