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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. key — for a lock
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. row — to paddle
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tear — to rip
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. key — the most important part
  13. field — for sport
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. row — a line
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. saw — the tool
  22. field — farmland
  23. key — in music
  24. field — a subject

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