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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. key — the most important part
  3. swing — in golf
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. key — in music
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cue — a hint
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. can — a tin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. swing — music
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. swing — to play on
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cue — for pool
  20. key — for a lock
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. branch — a division
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. can — a tin

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