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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. key — in music
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. plane — a tool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tear — to rip
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. key — for a lock
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rest — a break
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. row — a line

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