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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. can — a tin
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pop — to visit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tear — from crying
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. can — to be able to
  12. tear — to rip
  13. present — there
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. key — the most important part
  16. can — a tin
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pop — soda
  19. present — the time now
  20. pop — music
  21. present — a gift
  22. wake — a trail
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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