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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mug — a cup
  4. object — an aim
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. ground — the earth
  8. spring — of water
  9. current — of water
  10. object — a thing
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. spring — a coil
  17. key — for a lock
  18. last — to go on
  19. key — the most important part
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. spring — the season
  23. key — in music
  24. object — to protest

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