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

Word bank: file · squash · bay · trunk · key · snap · mark · deal

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. file — a tool
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. snap — to click
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mark — a trace
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. file — a document
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. key — the most important part
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. deal — to handle
  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