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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. squash — to crush
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mate — a partner
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rest — a break
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mate — a friend
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. key — for a lock
  22. season — in sport
  23. key — in music
  24. prune — to trim

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