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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. march — the month
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. land — ground
  8. key — in music
  9. land — a country
  10. key — the most important part
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. land — to come down
  13. scale — in music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. scale — size or range
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pass — a permit
  19. march — the month
  20. kick — in football
  21. snap — to click
  22. march — music
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. kick — a thrill

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