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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. sharp — clever
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. key — the most important part
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lean — thin
  12. capital — money
  13. tear — from crying
  14. key — in music
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lean — to bend
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. toast — bread
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. key — for a lock
  24. capital — a city

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