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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. key — in music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. key — the most important part
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rash — hasty
  14. row — a line
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rash — a series
  18. key — for a lock
  19. spell — magic
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pound — a weight
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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