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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. toast — bread
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. band — a ring
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. squash — to crush
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. band — a music group
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. key — the most important part
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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