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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. key — the most important part
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. content — happy
  6. key — in music
  7. squash — the sport
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. perch — the fish
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. season — in sport
  13. key — for a lock
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. content — the amount
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wake — a trail
  18. season — of the year
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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