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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · fine · squash · key · hide · bass · mine · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. last — final
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. last — to go on
  6. object — to protest
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. last — finally
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. fine — all right
  15. object — a thing
  16. bass — the fish
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mine — for digging
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fine — high quality

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