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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: wound · stand · rash · chest · cue · key · root · sharp

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — for a lock
  5. chest — a box
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. root — of a word
  20. wound — an injury
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. chest — of your body
  23. key — in music
  24. sharp — clever

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