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

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. key — in music
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. tear — from crying
  5. hand — in cards
  6. key — the most important part
  7. capital — money
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. date — the fruit
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. capital — a city
  14. tear — from crying
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hand — help
  23. key — for a lock
  24. hand — part of the body

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