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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mine — for digging
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. deal — to handle
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. tear — to rip
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rock — music
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chip — to eat
  23. key — in music
  24. chip — for betting

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