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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: last · staff · perch · mark · chest · key · rash · squash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. rash — a series
  2. chest — of your body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. last — final
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mark — a trace
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. last — to go on
  16. key — for a lock
  17. staff — employees
  18. last — finally
  19. staff — a stick
  20. squash — the sport
  21. key — in music
  22. rash — hasty
  23. squash — to crush
  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