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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
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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: cabinet · key · firm · last · staff · rash · hide · snap

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rash — hasty
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. firm — a company
  8. last — to go on
  9. firm — steady
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. last — finally
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rash — a series
  16. firm — decided
  17. staff — employees
  18. last — final
  19. staff — employees
  20. key — in music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. snap — to click
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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