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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. key — the most important part
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rest — a break
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. scale — in music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bear — the animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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