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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. swing — to play on
  3. firm — a company
  4. squash — to crush
  5. key — for a lock
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rest — a break
  8. stand — to bear
  9. firm — decided
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. swing — music
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. squash — the sport
  16. key — in music
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rest — what's left
  20. firm — steady
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rest — what's left
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stand — on your feet

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