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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: key · safe · spring · leaves · ruler · mouse · kid · craft

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. key — for a lock
  6. craft — boats
  7. spring — a coil
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spring — of water
  10. kid — to tease
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. key — the most important part
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kid — child
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. spring — the season
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. key — 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