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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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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: mate · vault · object · spring · track · key · bound · nail

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mate — a partner
  3. object — to protest
  4. bound — certain
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. vault — a safe
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bound — obliged
  10. key — for a lock
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. spring — a coil
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. track — a song
  16. key — in music
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. spring — the season
  23. bound — tied together
  24. nail — on a finger

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