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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: spring · rush · firm · band · bass · mate · key · march

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mate — a partner
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. firm — steady
  6. spring — the season
  7. key — in music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. firm — a company
  11. band — a music group
  12. firm — decided
  13. spring — a coil
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mate — a friend
  16. march — the month
  17. bass — the fish
  18. march — music
  19. bass — low music
  20. band — a ring
  21. spring — of water
  22. rush — hurry
  23. march — the month
  24. mate — to breed

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