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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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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ball — a dance
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. key — in music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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