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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. drill — a practice
  5. current — of water
  6. drill — army training
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. wound — an injury
  9. current — electric
  10. drill — the tool
  11. current — happening now
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. tube — a container
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. key — the most important part
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. key — for a lock
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lean — thin
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lean — to bend
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wound — an injury
  24. key — in music

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