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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. squash — the sport
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. object — a thing
  7. rest — a break
  8. lean — thin
  9. dip — to sink
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. capital — a city
  14. lean — to bend
  15. object — to protest
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. capital — money
  19. object — an aim
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. squash — to crush

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