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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.

Make a worksheet

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: jam · key · fan · date · snap · bass · rest · spring

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bass — low music
  3. spring — of water
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spring — the season
  9. key — the most important part
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rest — a break
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. snap — to click
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rest — what's left
  22. key — in music
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. key — for a lock

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