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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: mate · bear · sharp · tube · spring · bank · key · coach

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bank — for money
  3. key — the most important part
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. spring — the season
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bank — for money
  12. mate — a friend
  13. key — in music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spring — of water
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bank — of a river
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tube — the underground
  24. key — for a lock

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