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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. firm — decided
  4. key — for a lock
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. spell — letters
  8. season — in sport
  9. key — in music
  10. firm — a company
  11. squash — the sport
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rule — government
  14. spell — magic
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. key — the most important part
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. kid — to tease
  20. squash — to crush
  21. firm — steady
  22. dip — to sink
  23. season — of the year
  24. rule — a law

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