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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. key — in music
  6. object — to protest
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. staff — employees
  12. game — a match
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. game — wild animals
  15. object — an aim
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. object — a thing
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wax — to grow

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