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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. object — to protest
  3. fine — all right
  4. race — the arms race
  5. key — for a lock
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fine — high quality
  8. tear — to rip
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pit — in a race
  12. object — a thing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. race — humankind
  15. key — in music
  16. shower — rain
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. object — an aim
  19. race — a contest
  20. tear — from crying
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. shower — to wash

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