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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. land — to come down
  3. cell — in biology
  4. key — for a lock
  5. squash — to crush
  6. key — in music
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fan — a supporter

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