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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: bound · suit · pound · mine · spring · key · rest · spell

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. key — for a lock
  3. spring — the season
  4. mine — for digging
  5. spell — magic
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rest — a break
  8. spell — letters
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spring — a coil
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bound — tied together
  17. spring — of water
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bound — certain
  22. suit — to fit
  23. key — in music
  24. pound — to hit hard

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