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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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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. staff — employees
  6. key — for a lock
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. key — the most important part
  9. deal — to handle
  10. staff — a stick
  11. dip — to sink
  12. swing — to play on
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. key — in music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. staff — employees
  18. swing — music

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