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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 116 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. file — a document
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. file — a tool
  8. scale — size or range
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rash — a series
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rash — hasty
  14. object — an aim
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. file — a line of people
  18. key — for a lock
  19. squash — the sport
  20. snap — to click
  21. scale — in music
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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