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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. squash — to crush
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. squash — the sport
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. key — in music
  21. drill — the tool
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. drill — army training
  24. lean — thin

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