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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. lean — thin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. key — in music
  13. lean — to bend
  14. squash — to crush
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wound — an injury
  24. key — the most important part

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