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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.

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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. tear — from crying
  3. staff — employees
  4. tear — from crying
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. net — after costs
  10. key — the most important part
  11. degree — an amount
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. tear — to rip
  16. staff — a stick
  17. key — for a lock
  18. degree — from a university
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bank — of a river
  22. deal — to handle
  23. key — in music
  24. safe — out of danger

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