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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 · fine · kick · wake · spring · cold · perch · dip

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — not warm
  3. perch — the fish
  4. fine — high quality
  5. key — in music
  6. dip — to sink
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. spring — the season
  10. fine — all right
  11. spring — of water
  12. key — the most important part
  13. kick — in football
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. key — for a lock
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. spring — a coil
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cold — an illness
  24. kick — with a leg

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