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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. key — in music
  3. firm — decided
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. march — music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. tear — to rip
  8. clip — to cut
  9. march — the month
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. clip — for paper
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chair — a leader
  16. key — the most important part
  17. march — the month
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — to handle
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lie — to recline
  23. clip — a video
  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