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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: pit · arm · bulb · rush · spring · fine · key · wax

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. spring — the season
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. spring — a coil
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fine — all right
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — hurry
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. spring — of water
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pit — a hole

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