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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chest — a box
  5. net — in sport
  6. chip — for betting
  7. charge — in control
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. present — a gift
  12. charge — electricity
  13. present — the time now
  14. key — for a lock
  15. tear — to rip
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rush — hurry
  18. net — for catching
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. charge — a price
  21. net — after costs
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chip — to eat

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