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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. tear — from crying
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. key — in music
  7. season — of the year
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lean — thin
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lean — to bend
  17. season — in sport
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. key — for a lock
  21. tear — from crying
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bore — to drill
  24. key — the most important part

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