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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. tear — to rip
  3. kick — in football
  4. lean — thin
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pop — music
  8. fine — all right
  9. net — in sport
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pound — a weight
  16. tear — from crying
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lean — to rest against

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