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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. key — in music
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. key — for a lock
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. pop — to visit
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pop — music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — a break
  16. toast — bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. tear — from crying
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rest — what's left
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pop — soda

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