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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 124 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wound — an injury
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wound — an injury
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tear — to rip
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bound — certain
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. key — for a lock
  13. swing — to play on
  14. date — the fruit
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bound — obliged
  20. suit — to fit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. key — in music
  23. bound — tied together
  24. suit — in cards

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