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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ball — a great time
  9. current — electric
  10. ball — a dance
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lie — to recline
  18. spell — letters
  19. key — the most important part
  20. current — of water
  21. spell — magic
  22. rest — a break
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. current — happening now

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