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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pit — in a race
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. key — in music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. stem — to come from
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wake — a trail

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