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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bat — the animal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rash — hasty
  5. foot — a measure
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. key — in music
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. key — for a lock
  20. suit — in cards
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rash — a series
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mine — an explosive

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