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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rule — a law
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. key — in music
  9. rule — government
  10. snap — to click
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. key — the most important part
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. squash — the sport
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. squash — to crush

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