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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. key — in music
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. club — for golf
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rest — what's left
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pop — to visit
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rest — a break
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. face — to confront
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pop — music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rest — what's left

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