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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tear — from crying
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tear — to rip
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. key — the most important part
  7. tear — from crying
  8. can — a tin
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — to protest
  12. wound — an injury
  13. saw — the tool
  14. key — in music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fork — in a road
  17. object — an aim
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. object — a thing
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fork — to eat with

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