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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wound — an injury
  7. last — final
  8. cue — a signal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. object — an aim
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. squash — to crush
  13. object — to protest
  14. squash — the sport
  15. snap — to click
  16. cue — a hint
  17. key — the most important part
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. last — finally
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. last — to go on
  22. object — a thing
  23. wound — an injury
  24. key — in music

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