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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. march — music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tear — from crying
  8. deal — to handle
  9. tear — to rip
  10. march — the month
  11. firm — steady
  12. charge — electricity
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. firm — decided
  18. prune — to trim
  19. key — for a lock
  20. march — the month
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. key — in music
  24. key — the most important part

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