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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: saw · key · suit · board · snap · bear · scale · spring

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bear — the animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. board — a committee
  5. spring — the season
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. suit — in cards
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spring — of water
  15. suit — clothes
  16. board — to get on
  17. key — the most important part
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. suit — to fit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. scale — size or range
  22. key — in music
  23. spring — a coil
  24. scale — in music

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