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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. object — a thing
  3. key — in music
  4. hand — help
  5. tear — to rip
  6. last — final
  7. tear — from crying
  8. last — finally
  9. object — to protest
  10. firm — steady
  11. tube — a container
  12. key — the most important part
  13. charge — electricity
  14. last — to go on
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tear — from crying
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. firm — a company
  19. charge — a price
  20. hand — in cards
  21. firm — decided
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. charge — in control
  24. object — an aim

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