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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 · face · pass · roll · foot · firm · key · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. key — for a lock
  3. spring — the season
  4. key — in music
  5. firm — decided
  6. foot — a measure
  7. key — the most important part
  8. firm — a company
  9. face — to confront
  10. roll — a list
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. face — to point toward
  15. spring — a coil
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. spring — of water
  22. firm — steady
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. roll — a cake

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