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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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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: key · rush · band · rest · pass · firm · bowl · vault

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. firm — steady
  5. key — the most important part
  6. firm — decided
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. band — a music group
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pass — a permit
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. key — in music
  17. band — a ring
  18. firm — a company
  19. rest — a break
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rest — what's left

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