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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 120 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: spring · chip · perch · safe · foot · key · fan · kid

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. spring — a coil
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. spring — of water
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chip — for betting
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. foot — a measure
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chip — to eat
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kid — child
  15. spring — the season
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kid — to tease
  18. key — in music
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. perch — the fish
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. perch — for a bird

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