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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
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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: staff · spell · mine · cell · cabinet · coach · rush · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. staff — employees
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cell — a phone
  9. staff — employees
  10. key — in music
  11. spell — magic
  12. rush — hurry
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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