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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. object — a thing
  3. tear — from crying
  4. net — after costs
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tear — to rip
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. object — an aim
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lie — to recline
  14. current — electric
  15. key — for a lock
  16. net — in sport
  17. row — a line
  18. net — for catching
  19. row — to paddle
  20. key — in music
  21. current — happening now
  22. object — to protest
  23. current — of water
  24. key — the most important part

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