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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. spell — letters
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. tear — from crying
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tear — from crying
  8. spell — a short time
  9. shower — rain
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. shower — to wash
  12. key — in music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kick — in football
  18. spell — magic
  19. key — for a lock
  20. tear — to rip
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bulb — for light

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