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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · spring · land · wave · fan · key · chip · straw

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. chip — to eat
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. object — a thing
  17. land — to come down
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. spring — the season
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spring — of water
  22. chip — for betting
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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