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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
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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: net · wake · snap · spring · key · mine · deal · bowl

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. spring — a coil
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wake — a trail
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spring — the season
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. snap — to click
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. spring — of water
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. key — for a lock
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. net — in sport
  22. key — in music
  23. net — after costs
  24. wake — before a funeral

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