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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · nail · cabinet · cap · lash · key · mate · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. spell — a short time
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. spell — magic
  17. cap — a lid
  18. spell — letters
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. key — in music
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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