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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 · key · mine · sharp · rush · hand · mark · snap

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spring — the season
  4. mark — a trace
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. hand — in cards
  7. spring — a coil
  8. hand — help
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. key — for a lock
  14. sharp — clever
  15. key — the most important part
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. spring — of water
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. key — in music
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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