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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. ground — a position
  3. key — for a lock
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ground — the earth
  6. race — the arms race
  7. squash — to crush
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. race — humankind
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ground — crushed
  16. kick — in football
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. key — in music
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. race — a contest
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. squash — the sport

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