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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. spell — a short time
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. key — the most important part
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. spell — magic
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bass — low music
  9. squash — to crush
  10. spell — letters
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rule — government
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rule — a law
  24. craft — boats

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