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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. key — in music
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. deal — to handle
  11. last — to go on
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. last — final
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. squash — the sport
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. snap — to click
  24. last — finally

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