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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: hand · rock · mark · row · spring · key · fall · bound

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. spring — of water
  4. fall — the season
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. key — in music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. row — a line
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rock — music
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. spring — the season
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fall — to drop

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