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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · spring · snap · cabinet · bass · key · foot · wound

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. key — the most important part
  3. foot — a measure
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. snap — to click
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spring — the season
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. spring — of water
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. key — in music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bass — low music
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bass — the fish
  20. wound — an injury
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cabinet — ministers

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