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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. saw — the tool
  5. race — the arms race
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. key — for a lock
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. squash — the sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tear — to rip
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. race — a contest
  16. content — happy
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. content — the amount
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. race — humankind
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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