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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tear — from crying
  3. last — final
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. suit — in cards
  8. key — the most important part
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. last — to go on
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. key — in music
  16. net — for catching
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. last — finally
  22. tear — to rip
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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