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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rest · key · face · spring · spell · club · suit · dip

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. key — for a lock
  3. face — to confront
  4. suit — clothes
  5. spring — of water
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. spring — a coil
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — letters
  11. key — in music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. dip — to sink
  14. club — a group
  15. rest — a break
  16. suit — to fit
  17. spring — the season
  18. key — the most important part
  19. face — to point toward
  20. spell — a short time
  21. suit — in cards
  22. spell — magic
  23. club — for golf
  24. face — part of the head

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