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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. key — in music
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. squash — the sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bore — to drill
  11. key — the most important part
  12. board — to get on
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bore — to tire
  15. board — a committee
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. prune — to trim
  24. squash — the vegetable

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