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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 124 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. craft — boats
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tear — to rip
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. squash — the sport
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. squash — to crush
  21. key — in music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mouse — for a computer

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