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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. tear — from crying
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bound — tied together
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mate — a friend
  10. ball — a great time
  11. key — in music
  12. bound — obliged
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tear — to rip
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — a song
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bound — certain
  21. mate — to breed
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. key — for a lock
  24. prune — to trim

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