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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.

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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. charge — electricity
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. charge — in control
  5. rash — hasty
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rash — a series
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. key — in music
  11. charge — a price
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rash — on the skin

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