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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: court · key · squash · nail · suit · tear · cell · kick

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. court — for sport
  4. kick — in football
  5. squash — the sport
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. squash — to crush
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. court — of a king
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. tear — to rip
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. key — the most important part
  16. court — of law
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cell — in biology
  19. suit — in cards
  20. key — in music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. tear — from crying
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cell — a phone

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