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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: ground · bass · lie · key · mouse · rash · spring · foot

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. key — for a lock
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rash — a series
  7. foot — a measure
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rash — hasty
  15. key — in music
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. spring — the season
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. ground — the earth

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