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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tear — from crying
  3. key — in music
  4. tear — to rip
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. kick — in football
  7. key — for a lock
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tear — from crying
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. tube — the underground
  15. net — for catching
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. key — the most important part
  18. foot — a measure

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