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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. key — the most important part
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. key — in music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. land — to come down
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. key — for a lock
  21. land — ground
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. squash — the sport
  24. land — a country

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