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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 · cue · squash · roll · chest · drill · fan · mug

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. key — the most important part
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mug — a face
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chest — of your body
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — a hint
  16. key — for a lock
  17. roll — a list
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. drill — army training
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chest — a box

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