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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: rash · key · mate · spring · content · hand · stick · bay

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rash — a series
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — in music
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. content — the amount
  11. hand — in cards
  12. spring — the season
  13. content — happy
  14. spring — of water
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mate — a friend
  17. hand — help
  18. mate — to breed
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rash — hasty

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