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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · snap · press · ball · spring · key · bulb · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. ball — a dance
  4. key — for a lock
  5. scale — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. snap — to click
  8. key — in music
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spring — the season
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. spring — a coil
  20. press — to push
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. press — newspapers
  23. spring — of water
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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