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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 116 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: patient · pop · snap · track · mouse · spring · key · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. key — the most important part
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. key — in music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. track — a path
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. spring — of water
  15. track — a song
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. key — for a lock

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