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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. key — the most important part
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. key — in music
  8. net — after costs
  9. kick — in football
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rock — music
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. tube — a container
  19. rock — a stone
  20. key — for a lock
  21. tear — to rip
  22. foot — a measure
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. chair — a leader

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