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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: mouse · hand · key · fine · root · rash · sharp · rush

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. root — of a word
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. key — for a lock
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. root — the cause
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. hand — help
  14. fine — high quality
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. root — of a plant
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fine — all right
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rash — a series

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