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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bank — for money
  3. rest — what's left
  4. key — for a lock
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pop — music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rest — what's left
  10. firm — steady
  11. snap — to click
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pop — to visit
  14. key — in music
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rest — a break
  17. bank — of a river
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. firm — a company
  21. pop — soda
  22. bank — for money
  23. key — the most important part
  24. hide — to keep secret

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