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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.

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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: temple · key · spell · deal · sharp · arm · spring · prune

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. spell — letters
  3. spring — the season
  4. key — the most important part
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spring — of water
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. deal — to handle
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. spell — magic
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spring — a coil
  21. prune — to trim
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. key — for a lock
  24. arm — part of the body

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