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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. season — of the year
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. season — in sport
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. tear — to rip
  14. key — the most important part
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mug — a face
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mug — a cup
  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