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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 120 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: staff · rush · suit · bowl · mark · hand · bay · key

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rush — hurry
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. hand — help
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mark — a trace
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. staff — employees
  18. key — in music
  19. staff — employees
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. suit — in cards

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