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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.

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: spring · straw · pound · safe · lie · bound · key · bore

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bore — to drill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bound — obliged
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spring — the season
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bore — to tire
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bound — certain
  21. spring — of water
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. lie — to recline

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