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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mark — a trace
  6. tear — from crying
  7. present — a gift
  8. face — to confront
  9. rule — a law
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rule — government
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fall — the season
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mark — a grade
  21. key — for a lock
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fall — to drop

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