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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. march — music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. key — in music
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tear — to rip
  15. key — the most important part
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wake — a trail
  20. key — for a lock
  21. spell — magic
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wound — an injury
  24. object — a thing

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