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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. key — for a lock
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. key — in music
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chest — a box
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bulb — for light
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chest — of your body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chest — of your body
  24. current — electric

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