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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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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: tear · key · bay · snap · staff · prune · kick · ground

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. kick — in football
  3. key — for a lock
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. tear — to rip
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. staff — a stick
  13. tear — from crying
  14. staff — employees
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ground — a position
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. tear — from crying
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. key — the most important part
  22. snap — to click
  23. staff — employees
  24. kick — a thrill

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