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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. squash — the sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. key — for a lock
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. chest — of your body
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mate — a friend
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mark — a grade
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pass — a permit
  21. key — in music
  22. chest — a box
  23. mate — a partner
  24. tear — from crying

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