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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: roll · ruler · key · mug · spring · sharp · wound · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wound — an injury
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wound — an injury
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. key — in music
  18. bat — the animal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. roll — a list
  22. mug — to rob
  23. spring — the season
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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