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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: hand · key · content · cabinet · perch · dip · spring · nail

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. key — the most important part
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spring — the season
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. hand — help
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. perch — the fish
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. hand — in cards
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — the amount
  19. key — in music
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. key — for a lock
  22. content — happy
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. hand — part of the body

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