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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: staff · bear · rash · key · rush · roll · bark · dip

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bark — to shout
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rash — a series
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. staff — employees
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. key — in music
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. key — for a lock
  16. roll — a cake
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rush — hurry
  20. roll — a list
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bear — the animal
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rash — hasty

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