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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. key — for a lock
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pop — soda
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pop — to visit
  11. spring — the season
  12. tear — from crying
  13. key — in music
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. charge — in control
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. spring — of water
  19. tear — to rip
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pop — music
  23. charge — a price
  24. spring — a coil

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