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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.

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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. kid — child
  3. key — in music
  4. rule — a law
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. chest — of your body
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rule — government
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bank — for money
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bank — of a river
  13. chest — a box
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bank — for money
  16. chest — of your body
  17. face — to point toward
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mark — a trace
  21. kid — to tease
  22. face — to confront
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. mark — to pay attention

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