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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: bound · rash · suit · craft · tear · toast · key · spring

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rash — a series
  3. tear — from crying
  4. toast — bread
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spring — the season
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bound — certain
  9. rash — hasty
  10. tear — from crying
  11. key — for a lock
  12. spring — of water
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. key — the most important part
  16. suit — in cards
  17. tear — to rip
  18. craft — a skill
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. spring — a coil
  24. key — in music

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