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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: pop · lean · key · suit · squash · rash · content · roll

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lean — thin
  3. roll — a cake
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. suit — in cards
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rash — hasty
  10. content — the amount
  11. pop — soda
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pop — music
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. content — happy
  17. lean — to bend
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. key — for a lock
  20. suit — to fit
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rash — a series
  23. squash — to crush
  24. roll — a list

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