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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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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: bore · ruler · squash · bowl · key · chest · mouse · firm

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. firm — steady
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. squash — to crush
  6. key — for a lock
  7. chest — of your body
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bore — to drill
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. firm — decided
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. key — in music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. firm — a company
  24. bowl — a football final

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