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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spring — a coil
  4. drill — the tool
  5. lie — to recline
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spring — of water
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. squash — to crush
  11. object — an aim
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. key — in music
  18. spring — the season
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. squash — the sport
  24. key — for a lock

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