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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: rule · key · deal · last · rush · swing · kid · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. key — for a lock
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. last — to go on
  6. rule — government
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. last — finally
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. swing — in golf
  17. kid — child
  18. last — final
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rule — a law
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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