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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: squash · race · spell · can · hide · key · stick · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. spell — magic
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. staff — a stick
  10. can — to be able to
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. key — for a lock
  13. squash — to crush
  14. can — a tin
  15. key — in music
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. race — a contest
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. key — the most important part
  23. staff — employees
  24. spell — letters

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