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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
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: arm · spring · key · mine · leaves · pass · chair · bear

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. spring — a coil
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. key — the most important part
  17. spring — the season
  18. pass — a permit
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spring — of water
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. key — in music

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