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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.

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: hand · key · prune · rash · wave · hide · content · stick

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. key — in music
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. content — the amount
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rash — hasty
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rash — a series
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. key — the most important part
  15. prune — to trim
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hand — help
  23. content — happy
  24. hide — to keep secret

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