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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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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 · snap · mark · bear · ground · toast · spring · chest

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. toast — bread
  6. key — in music
  7. chest — of your body
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. spring — a coil
  11. chest — of your body
  12. key — the most important part
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. chest — a box
  15. mark — a grade
  16. spring — the season
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. key — for a lock
  22. snap — to click
  23. spring — of water
  24. bear — the animal

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