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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rest — what's left
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. hand — help
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rest — a break
  11. chip — to eat
  12. hand — in cards
  13. key — in music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mine — for digging
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fork — in a road

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