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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. staff — employees
  3. rule — government
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. tear — from crying
  7. key — the most important part
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. staff — a stick
  12. key — in music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rule — a law
  15. tear — from crying
  16. staff — employees
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fine — all right
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — in a race

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