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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.

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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: object · key · kid · rush · board · rash · saw · wax

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. board — to get on
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rush — hurry
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. kid — to tease
  14. object — a thing
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — an aim
  17. wax — to grow
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. board — a committee
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. kid — child
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. object — to protest
  24. key — the most important part

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