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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wound — an injury
  5. key — in music
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tube — a container
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bank — of a river
  20. can — a tin
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tube — the underground
  23. can — a tin
  24. mate — a partner

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