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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. firm — steady
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. key — for a lock
  7. firm — decided
  8. spell — magic
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. prune — to trim
  11. key — the most important part
  12. present — there
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. present — the time now
  16. firm — a company
  17. squash — to crush
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. key — in music
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. present — a gift
  24. hide — to keep secret

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