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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: suit · squash · deal · key · rush · cell · fall · toast

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. suit — in cards
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. toast — bread
  12. squash — the sport
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. fall — to drop
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cell — in biology
  20. squash — to crush
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cell — a phone
  24. key — the most important part

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