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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. file — a document
  6. tear — from crying
  7. scale — size or range
  8. key — in music
  9. can — a tin
  10. pit — in a race
  11. scale — in music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cue — for pool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cue — a signal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cue — a hint
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. file — a tool
  24. pit — a hole

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