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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. key — for a lock
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mine — for digging
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. key — in music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. key — the most important part
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bark — to shout

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