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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cue — for pool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. key — in music
  5. tear — to rip
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cue — a hint
  8. shower — rain
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pop — soda
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pop — music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. safe — a strongbox

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