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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: saw · key · spring · bound · chest · bay · foot · rule

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bound — tied together
  9. foot — a measure
  10. saw — the tool
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. key — in music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rule — a law
  16. chest — of your body
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bound — certain
  19. spring — the season
  20. chest — of your body
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. spring — of water

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