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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: band · kid · key · spring · leaves · saw · staff · track

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spring — a coil
  3. band — a music group
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. band — a ring
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spring — the season
  10. kid — to tease
  11. saw — the tool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. track — a path
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. key — in music
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. key — for a lock
  21. spring — of water
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. key — the most important part
  24. saw — the tool

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