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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. tear — from crying
  3. craft — boats
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mate — a partner
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fine — high quality
  8. key — in music
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mate — a friend
  14. present — the time now
  15. ground — a position
  16. craft — a skill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fine — all right
  20. ground — crushed
  21. present — a gift
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. key — for a lock
  24. craft — a handicraft

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