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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. key — for a lock
  3. spell — magic
  4. mark — a grade
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. root — of a word
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mark — a trace
  12. suit — in cards
  13. root — the cause
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wind — moving air
  16. key — in music
  17. suit — to fit
  18. hand — in cards
  19. tear — from crying
  20. key — the most important part
  21. spell — letters
  22. tear — to rip
  23. hand — help
  24. mark — to pay attention

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