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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. squash — the sport
  6. key — for a lock
  7. saw — the tool
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. saw — the tool
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bulb — for light
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. key — in music
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. march — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. march — the month
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. key — the most important part
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bulb — of a plant

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