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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. spell — magic
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. last — finally
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. spell — letters
  9. bulb — for light
  10. key — for a lock
  11. last — final
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bulb — for light
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. file — a line of people
  17. squash — the sport
  18. file — a document
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. file — a tool
  22. key — in music
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. last — to go on

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