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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: leaves · foot · key · bowl · spring · jam · cabinet · wind

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. spring — a coil
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. foot — a measure
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. key — in music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wind — moving air
  24. key — the most important part

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