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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. squash — to crush
  3. face — to point toward
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. capital — a city
  7. last — finally
  8. squash — the sport
  9. spring — a coil
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. face — part of the head
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spring — the season
  15. key — in music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spring — of water
  18. last — final
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. perch — the fish
  21. face — to confront
  22. capital — money
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ruler — a monarch

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