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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: spring · bank · game · lean · kick · roll · key · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. bank — of a river
  3. lean — thin
  4. spring — the season
  5. roll — a list
  6. bank — for money
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. roll — a cake
  13. key — in music
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — music
  16. kick — in football
  17. game — wild animals
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pop — to visit
  20. key — the most important part
  21. game — a match
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. spring — of water
  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