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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · kick · present · tear · key · rock

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. present — a gift
  4. key — for a lock
  5. kick — in football
  6. present — the time now
  7. rock — a stone
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rock — music
  10. tear — to rip
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. tear — from crying
  16. last — finally
  17. tear — from crying
  18. present — there

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