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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: straw · key · last · vault · wave · fan · dip · rash

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. last — to go on
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. dip — to sink
  13. vault — a safe
  14. last — final
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. last — finally
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — in music
  24. straw — a straw man

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