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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. object — to protest
  5. spell — letters
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. dip — to sink
  8. object — a thing
  9. key — for a lock
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. key — in music
  12. craft — boats
  13. squash — to crush
  14. spell — magic
  15. squash — the sport
  16. craft — a skill
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. key — the most important part
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. spell — a short time
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. craft — a handicraft

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