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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 · fork · safe · rush · cell · cue · wind · toast

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. rush — hurry
  7. key — for a lock
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cue — for pool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. key — in music
  24. cue — a signal

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