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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mug — a face
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mug — to rob
  8. scale — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lean — thin
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. key — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. face — to confront
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rush — a thrill

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