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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: season · stand · straw · key · cabinet · rash · wave · hand

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. season — of the year
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rash — a series
  9. key — in music
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hand — help
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. key — the most important part

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