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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · stick · squash · rest · bay · bass · current · spell

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. spell — a short time
  4. key — for a lock
  5. current — happening now
  6. squash — the sport
  7. current — electric
  8. bass — low music
  9. spell — letters
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. current — of water
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spell — magic
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — a break

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