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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. kid — to tease
  3. key — the most important part
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. prune — to trim
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. spell — magic
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. key — in music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rock — a stone
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spell — letters

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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