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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: jam · drill · tear · pass · wound · kick · key · can

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. can — a tin
  4. tear — from crying
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. kick — in football
  11. drill — a practice
  12. key — in music
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. drill — the tool
  20. key — for a lock
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. drill — army training

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