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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. squash — to crush
  3. last — to go on
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — an aim
  6. bank — for money
  7. last — final
  8. kid — child
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bank — for money
  14. last — finally
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. key — the most important part
  17. object — a thing
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bank — of a river
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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