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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: face · chest · key · bass · season · cue · drill · rush

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rush — hurry
  4. key — in music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. drill — army training
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. face — to point toward
  9. season — in sport
  10. cue — a signal
  11. face — to confront
  12. key — the most important part
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bass — low music
  15. chest — a box
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cue — a hint
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chest — of your body
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bass — the fish
  23. season — of the year
  24. drill — a practice

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