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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.

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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.

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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: foot · rash · wake · key · prune · drill · rock · fan

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. drill — a practice
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rock — music
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. key — in music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. key — for a lock
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rash — a series
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. drill — army training
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rock — to move gently

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