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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. squash — to crush
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wax — to grow
  10. key — for a lock
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rock — music
  13. hand — help
  14. kid — child
  15. key — in music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. key — the most important part

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