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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. firm — a company
  3. net — in sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. key — for a lock
  9. spell — letters
  10. key — the most important part
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. net — for catching
  13. firm — steady
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spell — magic
  21. key — in music
  22. net — after costs
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. firm — decided

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