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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. season — in sport
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. season — of the year
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. object — an aim
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. object — a thing
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. key — for a lock

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