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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: hand · key · wound · prune · spell · rush · club · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. key — for a lock
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. spell — magic
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. key — in music
  11. club — for golf
  12. wound — an injury
  13. club — a group
  14. key — the most important part
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. spell — letters
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. spell — a short time
  21. hand — help
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rush — hurry
  24. hand — in cards

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