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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.

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: key · rush · straw · hide · bass · vault · staff · hand

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. key — the most important part
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. hand — help
  7. bass — low music
  8. key — in music
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rush — hurry
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. hand — in cards
  24. staff — employees

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