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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.

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: stick · key · pitcher · mate · hand · spring · calf · snap

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mate — a partner
  5. snap — to click
  6. key — the most important part
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mate — to breed
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mate — a friend
  20. hand — help
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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