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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spell — letters
  4. pop — soda
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pop — to visit
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rest — a break
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rest — what's left
  14. vault — a safe
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rest — what's left
  20. key — the most important part
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pop — music
  24. key — in music

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