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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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 — the sport
  2. key — the most important part
  3. last — final
  4. key — in music
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. firm — a company
  11. key — for a lock
  12. suit — to fit
  13. last — to go on
  14. firm — decided
  15. current — happening now
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. suit — in cards
  19. last — finally
  20. suit — clothes
  21. squash — to crush
  22. firm — steady
  23. current — of water
  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