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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. key — the most important part
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. swing — in golf
  11. key — in music
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. season — of the year
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rash — a series
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. season — in sport

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