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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: march · key · nail · safe · object · tear · wind · mark

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mark — a grade
  3. key — in music
  4. wind — moving air
  5. object — to protest
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mark — a trace
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. march — the month
  10. key — the most important part
  11. tear — from crying
  12. object — a thing
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wind — moving air
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. object — an aim
  24. safe — out of danger

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