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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. key — in music
  3. tear — from crying
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lean — thin
  8. band — a ring
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. tear — to rip
  14. row — a line
  15. pit — in a race
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. band — a music group

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