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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 · suit · rush · present · deal · mouse · object · rash

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. staff — employees
  3. object — to protest
  4. staff — a stick
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. object — a thing
  11. staff — employees
  12. rash — a series
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rush — hurry
  16. object — an aim
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. suit — in cards
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. present — the time now

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