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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. kid — child
  3. present — there
  4. tear — from crying
  5. can — a tin
  6. present — the time now
  7. can — a tin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. key — in music
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pit — in a race
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. key — for a lock
  23. can — to be able to
  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