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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. last — to go on
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pit — a hole
  7. spell — letters
  8. key — the most important part
  9. last — finally
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. last — final
  16. squash — to crush
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. spell — magic
  24. lie — to recline

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