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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. swing — in golf
  4. key — the most important part
  5. season — in sport
  6. swing — to play on
  7. tear — from crying
  8. season — of the year
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. tear — from crying
  11. key — in music
  12. fine — all right
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. squash — the sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. key — for a lock
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. tear — to rip
  20. snap — to click
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. swing — music
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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