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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: rush · lean · nail · court · firm · calf · key · chest

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. court — for sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. firm — a company
  9. court — of a king
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chest — a box
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chest — of your body
  15. firm — steady
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lean — thin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. firm — decided
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lean — to bend
  23. key — in music
  24. court — of law

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