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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mine — for digging
  6. key — for a lock
  7. tear — to rip
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. season — in sport
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. key — the most important part
  17. tear — from crying
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. season — of the year
  23. rock — music
  24. key — in music

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