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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.

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: leaves · mine · game · key · spring · mark · chair · wave

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. spring — a coil
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spring — of water
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. key — for a lock
  7. spring — the season
  8. game — a match
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mark — a grade
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mine — for digging
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wave — with your hand

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