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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: key · mouse · rush · object · pop · spring · patient · bore

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. object — a thing
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. key — in music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. spring — of water
  8. object — to protest
  9. spring — the season
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pop — music
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. object — an aim
  24. spring — a coil

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