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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.

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: nail · rush · season · rash · safe · track · staff · key

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. season — of the year
  3. rash — a series
  4. staff — employees
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. key — the most important part
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rash — hasty
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. key — for a lock
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. track — a path
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. key — in music
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rush — hurry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. season — in sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. staff — employees
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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