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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. mark — a grade
  3. hand — in cards
  4. key — for a lock
  5. plane — a tool
  6. tear — from crying
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. fall — to drop
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. key — in music
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tear — from crying
  18. key — the most important part
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mark — a trace
  21. hand — help
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fall — the season
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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