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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. key — the most important part
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stock — shares
  6. tear — to rip
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. hand — help
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. hand — in cards
  15. foot — a measure
  16. toast — bread
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mate — a friend
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stock — goods
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. key — in music

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