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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. file — a tool
  4. ball — a great time
  5. club — a group
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. tear — from crying
  8. file — a document
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rest — a break
  16. file — a line of people
  17. club — for golf
  18. rest — what's left

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