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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: key · dip · nail · wound · straw · spring · deal · foot

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. spring — of water
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spring — the season
  6. wound — an injury
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wound — an injury
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spring — a coil
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. nail — for a hammer

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