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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. key — in music
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rest — what's left
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mark — a grade
  11. tear — from crying
  12. race — a contest
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rest — a break
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. prune — to trim
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. race — humankind
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rest — what's left
  22. key — the most important part
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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