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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: key · snap · spring · mouse · roll · calf · perch · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. pop — soda
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spring — of water
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to click
  7. pop — music
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spring — the season
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. roll — a list
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. key — in music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  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