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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tear — from crying
  4. key — in music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. band — a music group
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spring — a coil
  10. lie — to recline
  11. tear — to rip
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. spring — the season
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. band — a ring
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spring — of water

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