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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.

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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
468
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: leaves · rash · straw · staff · scale · rest · key · racket

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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. leaves — lets stay
  4. key — in music
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rash — a series
  15. scale — size or range
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rash — hasty
  18. staff — employees
  19. rest — a break
  20. staff — employees
  21. key — for a lock
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rest — what's left
  24. scale — in music

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