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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: key · spring · straw · snap · suit · dip · bank · bear

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bank — of a river
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. snap — to click
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bear — the animal
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. key — the most important part
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bank — for money
  23. suit — to fit
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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