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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. key — in music
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lean — thin
  11. stock — shares
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stock — goods
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tear — from crying
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. club — a group
  24. tear — to rip

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