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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. spell — magic
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. key — the most important part
  7. court — for sport
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lie — to recline
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. spell — letters
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pound — a weight
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tear — to rip
  21. key — in music
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. key — for a lock

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