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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: spring · present · spell · mouse · leaves · key · wake · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. spring — the season
  10. spell — letters
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spell — a short time
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. present — the time now
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. present — a gift
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spring — of water
  23. spell — magic
  24. present — there

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