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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 116 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: kick · mate · bear · suit · ground · straw · spring · key

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. key — the most important part
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. ground — the earth
  10. suit — clothes
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ground — a position
  18. spring — of water
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. key — for a lock
  22. kick — in football
  23. suit — in cards
  24. key — in music

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