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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: mine · bound · key · staff · spring · hand · net · can

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. can — a tin
  3. hand — in cards
  4. spring — the season
  5. net — in sport
  6. spring — a coil
  7. can — to be able to
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. key — for a lock
  11. net — for catching
  12. can — a tin
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. staff — employees
  16. spring — of water
  17. net — after costs
  18. staff — employees
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bound — tied together
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mine — for digging
  23. hand — help
  24. mine — belonging to me

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