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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bound — certain
  5. march — the month
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rush — hurry
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. march — the month
  14. bound — obliged
  15. sharp — clever
  16. clip — a video
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bound — tied together
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. key — the most important part
  21. march — music
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. sharp — exactly

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