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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. face — to confront
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stock — goods
  14. key — the most important part
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stock — shares
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. face — part of the head
  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