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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stand — to bear
  6. object — an aim
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. squash — the sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. object — to protest
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. can — a tin
  21. object — a thing
  22. bat — the animal
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fan — to cool the air

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