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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. last — final
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. last — to go on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. last — finally
  7. key — in music
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tear — to rip
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. key — the most important part
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. tear — from crying
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. bear — the animal

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