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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. key — in music
  3. game — wild animals
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. squash — the sport
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. key — the most important part
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. march — the month
  12. game — a match
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. march — the month
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. key — for a lock
  20. march — music
  21. branch — a division
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. plane — a tool

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