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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: key · squash · rash · hand · staff · tube · wound · suit

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rash — hasty
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. squash — to crush
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wound — an injury
  12. staff — employees
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hand — help
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hand — in cards
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. key — the most important part
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. tube — a container
  24. staff — employees

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