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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. firm — steady
  5. key — in music
  6. club — for golf
  7. key — the most important part
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. can — a tin
  10. firm — a company
  11. tear — from crying
  12. can — to be able to
  13. key — for a lock
  14. club — a group
  15. tear — to rip
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. firm — decided
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. can — a tin
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. tear — from crying
  24. sharp — clever

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