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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
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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: wave · toast · hand · key · lie · hide · firm · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. hand — help
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. key — for a lock
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lie — to recline
  20. firm — a company
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. toast — bread
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rash — a series

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