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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ground — the earth
  3. tear — to rip
  4. key — in music
  5. ground — crushed
  6. tear — from crying
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. object — to protest
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ground — a position
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bulb — for light
  17. key — for a lock
  18. object — a thing
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. season — of the year
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. object — an aim
  24. season — in sport

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