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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. tear — from crying
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. key — in music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rash — a series
  12. wind — moving air
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. key — for a lock
  17. tear — to rip
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. chair — a leader
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rash — hasty
  23. key — the most important part
  24. tear — from crying

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