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

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. tear — from crying
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mug — to rob
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bore — to tire
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bore — to drill
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mug — a cup
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mug — a face
  18. tear — to rip

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