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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wound — an injury
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — in music
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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