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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: fine · rash · tear · key · snap · object · wound · present

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wound — an injury
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. tear — from crying
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wound — an injury
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. snap — to click
  14. object — an aim
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. tear — to rip
  17. key — for a lock
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. key — in music
  20. present — the time now
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rash — a series
  23. fine — all right
  24. rash — hasty

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