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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. key — in music
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. key — for a lock
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. net — after costs
  11. tube — a container
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tear — from crying
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. net — for catching
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. net — in sport
  22. key — the most important part
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bowl — to roll

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