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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. can — a tin
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rash — a series
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. drill — army training
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. key — in music
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bat — the animal
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. squash — the sport
  24. key — for a lock

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