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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 116 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. march — music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. key — the most important part
  9. dip — to sink
  10. march — the month
  11. key — for a lock
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. key — in music
  14. march — the month
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pass — a permit
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. plane — a tool
  24. perch — for a bird

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