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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. last — finally
  3. spell — letters
  4. rash — a series
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. key — the most important part
  8. charge — in control
  9. squash — to crush
  10. charge — electricity
  11. key — in music
  12. chair — a leader
  13. spell — a short time
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. last — final
  17. rash — hasty
  18. spell — magic
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. last — to go on
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. key — for a lock
  23. squash — the sport
  24. charge — a price

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