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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: spring · key · band · mouse · spell · land · bank · mate

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. band — a ring
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — letters
  5. bank — for money
  6. spell — magic
  7. spring — the season
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bank — of a river
  11. key — for a lock
  12. spring — a coil
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mate — a partner
  20. band — a music group
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spring — of water
  23. land — ground
  24. mouse — the animal

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