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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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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: saw · cold · tear · spell · rush · leaves · key · object

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. object — an aim
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spell — a short time
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rush — hurry
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. object — to protest
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cold — not warm
  13. spell — letters
  14. key — the most important part
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. key — for a lock
  17. object — a thing
  18. key — in music
  19. cold — an illness
  20. tear — from crying
  21. spell — magic
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. saw — the tool

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