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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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468
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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fine — all right
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. key — in music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tear — to rip
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fork — in a road
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tear — from crying

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