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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.

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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: nail · bound · cabinet · spring · key · object · pitcher · bear

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spring — a coil
  5. object — an aim
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. object — to protest
  11. bound — certain
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. key — for a lock
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spring — the season
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bear — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bound — obliged
  24. object — a thing

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