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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mate — to breed
  6. swing — music
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lean — thin
  11. key — the most important part
  12. squash — to crush
  13. key — for a lock
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wax — to grow
  18. key — in music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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