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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 116 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: season · prune · key · rush · spell · vault · kid · nail

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. spell — letters
  3. kid — to tease
  4. key — in music
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. season — in sport
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. key — for a lock
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spell — magic
  19. vault — a safe
  20. spell — a short time
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. kid — child
  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